The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-21
PEACE TREATY
TO DETERMINE
NAVAL POLICY
Congress Will Hold Back
Appropriation Until
Nations Agree.
DEMAND EQUAL POWER
Legislators Are Willing to
Share Control With
Great Britain.
MUST GUARD COMMERCE
Growth Of Merchant Marine
Calls for Strength Of the
First Degree.
MUST GUARD COMMERCE
Special Despatch 10 THE Sus.

programme for the navy and the pol
Icy which will govern its size were
threshed out to-day between the Sec
retary Of the Navy and the House
Naval Affairs Committee. The stand
= upon which the Republicans will in
sist was made clear.
Until to-day confusion has existed
in the minds of the committee as to
how the Navy Department and the
Administration reconciled the pro-
gramme for dn enormous navy with
the proposed League of Nations limit
ing individual armaments and pro-
viding an international police of the
sea from the ,navles of the world.
The majority OF the committee made
1t emphatically clear to the Secretary
of the Navy that no large building
programme would be authorized by
Congress until the peace conference
had stated definitely and finally just
what would be done to limit arma-
ments.
The Republican members Of the COM
nittee openly resented what they be-
ieve to be covert effort by the Demo-
Gratis to put them In the position OF
icing small navy" adherents when as
matter Of fact they fought for a big
navy for years and finally won before
the country was plunged into war.
The Republican position in a nut
shell is this: They will vote as body
To authorizs all capital fighting ships
the Administration believes necessary.
and pay out all money needed to ac-
complish It once the peace conference
takes a definite position and acts on
the suggestion to limit armaments.
The Republicans have no intention of
sppropriating hundreds OF millions of
dollars for the construction of fighting
ships and then seeing a large part of
this money wasted through stoppase
of the shipbuilding.
It was impossible to obscure the fact
that the future naval relations OF the
United States and Great Britain were
foremost in the minds Of the committee
and the Secretary. Secretary Daniels
was informed that II was the apparent
temper of Congress not to commit the
country to any definite policy OF naval
expansion until the position OF Great
Britain is made clear.
II Great Britain refuses to accede to
the determination of the peace confer
ence in respect to limiting naval arma-
nents Of the nations OF the world on the
ground that she has more to protect
than the other nations. the Secretary
vas told, Congress wants to be in po-
sition to make effective Immediately the
suthorization5 for all the big fighting
ships that can be built.
Division of German ships.
The attitude of Congress. II was said.
would be that IL England Is willing to
cut down her navy the United States
will be willing to maintain hers At It's
present strength. II England is not
willing the United States intends to
build up to meet the strength OF the
British navy.
One other factor the Naval Committee
took into consideration, and pointed out
10 the Secretary OF the Navy was the
impending division among the Allies and
the United States OF the lighting ships
given up by Germany as a part Of the
armistice terms. This division Of course
will determine the ratio OF strength
among the naval powers OF the world.
and must be taken into consideration In
deciding the naval policy Of this Gov
Crnment.
The suggestion that the German ves-
Fels be apportioned among her enemies
in proportion to the relative strengths OF
their navies will be opposed by Congress.
because England now has a larger navy
than the United States the Naval Com
mittee pointed out, is no cogent reason
why her naval strength should be aug
mented still more.
II was evidently the sense Of the COM
lnittee that II armaments are not to be
limited. America. with big new mer-
chant marine TO protect, should have a
navy equal to that OF Great Britain. II
Great Britain chooses to reduce her
navy the United States will not attempt
70 outstrip her In the number OF nRhtinR
ships TO be built. II Great Britain does
not reduce and keeps on adding to her
cattle fleet the American navy must
match 1t In strength.
Want Joint Sea Control.
II is the BELIEF of the men who will
frame the naval bill that Great Britain
rhould be given an equal share In control
~ the seas, but only an equal share.
che United States and Great Britain
With equal power should control the
seas jointly, they point out.
The Secretary cleared up a point to-
day which has been worrying the Naval
Committee. He declared II was the in
t"ntion of the Navy Department 10
Ia.ntain under naval discipline and d.
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