Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-06
navy
STATEMENT ST|RS !
DISCUSSION HERE
Briton's Declaration for Right
to Maintain Naval Defense
Is important.
JAPAN MAY FIGURE~M
LIMITATION AGREEMENT
Proposed Abolition of Conscription
in Europe Might Affect Train .
ing in United States.

in Europe Might Affect Train =.
ing in United States.
Reports received today from London
of declarations by winston Churchill,
minister of munitions, that British
representatives at the peace confer
enee will demand abolition. of con,
scription throughout Europe, and that
"We England enter the peace confer
ence with the absolute determination
that no limitation shall be imposed on
our right to maintain our naval de
fense," aroused more discussion around
Washington today than any PRO
nouncement of foreign minister since
the armistiee was signed.
Treaty May Affect Training.
Secretary Baker already had stated
that questions concerning the future
military policy of the country were
not touched upon in his annual re-
port. because such policy would be
affected by the findings of the peace
confereeS. 1t became apparent todnq
that universal military training in. the
United States no longer is a domestic
question, but is dependent to a large
extent upon the provisions of the
peace treaty.
Though Winston Churchill limited
his declaration in regard to conscrip-
fn rnnGlnerRd
likely that the United States will fol-
low a policy in regard to a standing
army in contrast to that agreed upon
among other nations represented st
the conference. . q
Future of Naval Forces.
The fact that in his reference to naval
force the British minister did not limit
his statement in any way was the sub
ject of considerable comment. II the
shipping of this nation increases COM
mensurately with the American facili-
ties for ship building experts say that
the United States, within 4 short, period.
will be able to put on the hight seas n
mercantile aaeat WHICH AkR ,salEposs thaal
of England II so, some AmeffcaS18
urge, this country will need to embark
for exactly the same reason that Eng
land maintains her vast establishment
to protect mercantile shipping.
OF course there are other questions
that enter into Americas future ship
ping. aside from its protection by an
adequate navy and whatever arrange
ments for our shipping expansion
which may be reached at the peace
conference One of these is the con-
siderably larger pay which the United
States must give its seamen than
Great Britain, which gets her seamen
al rlS1 hlV low WAGES hv Rmnlnv-
ing colonialS.
British See Maritime Rival.
Just now. it was pointed out, Great
Britain's navy is a protection though
not exactly commercial asset. For
the shipping tonnage which her navy
is designed to protect has been de-
creased by the U-boat operations.
Meantime America has pushed ahead
with shipbuilding at rate which
has aStounded the world, and which
has caused British statesmen and busi-
ness men to point out openly the pos
sibility of a new rival in world COM
merce.
Another nation which may figure in
any agreement reached in respect to
naval limitation is Japan. generally
overlooked in this connection. But
Japan is reaching out to a surprising
dustrial Importance has /een fortified
strongly by her wartime expansion,
for which she was left free from the
problems of nations taking a more ac-
tive part in the struggle.
One suggestion made in regard to
the future relations of England and
the United States in respect to ship
ping and consequent naval develop
ment is that the two countries come
to a special agreement. 1t was point
81
alliance of this kind was not feasible
under the present code of interna-
tional law, anti also that it might be
regarded by the American people as
'entangling."
President Has Considered.
President Wilson is known to have
studied these questions carefully. No
intimation has been given of the
position he will take on the question.
1t is pointed out by his friends thai
the fear that he may advocate pro-
gram which would cause friction with
England is rather surprising, in view
of the fact that during the war he
was accused of being pro-English in
his Sympathies.
The impression here was that Min
lister Churchilrs announcement is
likely to cause even wider discussion
among European powers than in the
L y,
held that placing other powers on a
par with England in respect to main
tanning d small standing army, while
leaving England free 10 expand her
navy, would place her in a position of
supremacy in Europe which would en-
counter opposition among her Euro
pean neighbors.
1t is generally b. eeved here that
President Wilson will oppose indem-
mites that might be considered op-
pressive to Germany, not through
any particular sympathy with the
enemy, but because he considers
such indemnities would be the cause
of creating a feeling that would not
conduce to future peace. The acid
test by. which the President is un-
derstoodf to gauge suggestions re
garding the treatment Of the enemy
countries is whether or not It VIII
foster that good will which is neces-
sary for prevention Of wars.
Alsace-Lorraine Stand.
The President has held. for example.
that territorial questions. like that CT
were the basic causes
of the present war. and to leave any
such open sores after the peace treaty
will be tantamount to defeating the
principle of international justice for
which this country stands.
Likewise, while there Is no disposi-
ton to permit Germany to go free III
the matter of payment for the havoc
she wrought. It also is held that heavy
tndemnities cannot be levied at the
same time that she is cut off from
supplies of raw materials and oppor-
tunities for trade. which anord thA
only means for payment Of those.
.--:.-:.ics.
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