THE BENEFITS OF ARMAMENTS

Horowhenua Chronicle, 11 September 1929, Page 5

THE BENEFITS OF ARMAMENTS

SHIPBUILDERS’ POINT OF VIEW RECEIVES PROMINENCE.

CURIOUS CRUSADE OF MR W. B. SHEARER. (By Telegraph-Press Asan.-Copyright.) /Australian Press Assn, and Sun.) " (Received This Daw, 9.10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, September 10. The Senate Naval Committee to-day voted for an investigation into activities by United States shipbuilding corporations, as connected with international naval limitations. A letter from Mr E. G. Gave, President of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, has been made public by White House. The letter stated that the company had severed .its connections with William Shearer as soon as it 3iad determined that Shearer was a propagandist. President Hoover, in a letter to Representative McClintock, a member of the House Naval Committee, denied that there had been any connection between Shearer and Rear-Admiral Hilary Jones, now retired, who was .one of the United States delegates to the Geneva Conference in 1927.

Shearer also denied receiving confidential naval information from RearAdmiral Jones or Rear-Admirals Robinson, Plunckett:, Pratt or Wiley.

' William B. Shearer is the naval expert who has been engaged in opposing reduction of n'avies. He was a private observer at the Geneva Conference, and data which he used against naval limitation there was supplied by naval officers. In an interview he mentioned four admirals who besought him in 1924 to spread information against the reduction of naval armaments. He said that shipbuilding companies were enthusiastic over his work.

A sensation was recently caused in ■Washington by a statement by President Hoover concerning the existence ■of paul propaganda against the present naval limitation activity.