AMERICA’S NAVY

Evening Star, Issue 19774, 26 January 1928, Page 4

AMERICA’S NAVY

ALARMIST STATEMENTS DEPRECATED Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright WASHINGTON, January 24. During an interview with journalists, in the course of which Admiral Plunket’s speech was brought up, President Coolidge said: “The country now is in no danger of being attacked, and no alarm is necessary. I feel it is natural that men in the military services should emphasis© the needs and activities of their branches: hut statements concerning war with our commercial competitors should not bo taken seriously.” He added that the moment he attempted to call attention to them he was accused of muzzling free speech. Th 3 country should know that alarming charges were often made when appropriations were sought in Congress. H© was unable to understand why no inflammatory statements followed large postal appropriations, when array and navy Bills always brought declarations that the country was facing dire consequences. He believed it was impossible for men in responsible positions to speak their own opinions, for they must consider the welfare of tiro whole country'. He expressed the wish that naval men would adopt a similar policy. Ho was convinced that the people in this and other countries understood the motive behind these inflammatory statements, and would not permit themselves to be disturbed. [At a public luncheon in New York Admiral Plnnket said: “The penalty for efficiency is war. It is inevitable so long as we travel along the lines wo are travelling to-day, and what of it? Wo are not going to leave this heritage of George Washington to hick.” If his eye read history correctly, the country was nearer war than ever before, because its commercial position to-day placed it in competition with other great commercial nations. “If yon don’t want war, he a worm. Crawl on your belly into the nearest hole in the earth,” he added.]