AMERICAN NAVAL PLANS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18888, 22 December 1924, Page 11

AMERICAN NAVAL PLANS.

MANOEUVRES IN PACIFIC. INTERPRETATION BY JAPAN. CONCERN IN WASHINGTON. JINGOISTIC TALK CONDEMNED. By Telezrapk—Press Association— Copyright. (Received 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. WASHINGTON. Dee. 20. Washington is gradually -working through the various phases of discussing the question of the preparedness and equipment of the American Navy, including the advisability of the manoeuvres at Hawaii. ■ The visit to Australia has become the outstanding problem facing the American Government. It has become a raging topic for dispute in Washington, and has taken the most prominent place in the news of any question since the tumult concerning Japanese exclusion, of which the echo still reverberates in the preseut differences over the navy. Mr. F. A. Britten, of Illinois, for three days has- kept Congress in a continuous uproar with his agitation that white peoples of the Pacific should combine against Japan. Protagonists nearly came to blows. The House of Representatives to-day and yesterday bitterly fought over the advisability of approaching the navy question in any manner by which Japanese feeling might be slighted.

Mr. George Huddleston, of Wisconsin, led the opponents of the manoeuvres. He reiterated that the Japanese knew the only imaginary enemy America could possibly have would be the Japanese fleet, and Japan was the imaginary enemy against which the navy would be def endings Hawaii. Mr. Britten's Resolutions. Mr. Britten replied by introducing various resolutions apart from that calling for'a conference of white peoples of the Pacific. One resolution called for an inquiry to determine whether the navy had fallen below the 5-5-3 ratio laid down in the Washington agreement and another provided an extra appropriation of ten million dollars for bringing the navy up to modern standards including more aircraft carriers, gun elevation, new boilers and scout cruisers.

Finally the House of Representatives passed the Naval Appropriation Bill, providing for an expenditure .of nearly 300,000,000 dollars.

The Senate's action upon the Supply Bill, which includes the cost of manoeuvres and of the visit of the fleet to Australia, is eagerly awaited.

The President, Mr. Calvin Coolidge, apparently is extremely disturbed over the navy agitation and has taken several important steps, including the admonition of naval officers against promoting the agitation to increase American naval forces. The public is assured the American Navy is competent and not inferior.

A gesture of friendliness toward Japan has been ordered to off-set Mr. Britten's moves. These include an official welcome by the State Department to the new Japanese Ambassador, Baron Matsukaira and an invitation to Japan to send a visiting fleet to American pons. This invitation has apparently been accepted by Japan.

The arrival of a Note from Britain concerning the American project to" increase gun elevations has further complicated the situation, Mr. Britten again introducing his resolution requesting the Secretary for the Navy, Mr. Curtis Wilbur, to give the House information concerning the objections of any foreign Powers to the project. Courtesy to Ambassador. The New York newspapers continue with one voice to praise the unprecedented courtesy shown to Baron Matsukaira. They are practically united in denouncing Mr. Britten's jingoism. The Herald states that before the Washington Conference an alarming situation did exist, which, however, had been cleared up by friendly co-operatfon between the two Powers. Americans. will welcome Baron Matsukaira's /appointment, as they consider a compact in the Pacific highly desirable to promote international agreement in maintenance of which both Japanese and American interests converge. Therefore no time could have been less fitting for Mr. Britten's tactless and hysterical proposal.