The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-12-22
WAR OR A NAVY?

The recommendations OF the navy general board
adhere to policy of which we have heard before
The board stated that year ago. President Wilson
in ST. Louis in one of his preparedness speeches. said
that the United States must have incomparaby the
greatest navy in the world.
The Chicago Tribune says, editorially: Recently.
while the senate was baking at the covenant of the
league of nations, then being drafted in Paris Secre
tary Daniels echoed Mr.. Wilson and said that the
United States must have either the covenant the
greatest navy in the world.
THUS there seems to be fixed in high places
the United States the idea that this nation should
have the incompatible navy Of the world. We will
say that before the United States gets the ncom-
parably greatest navy of the world it will have the
incomparably greatest of the world
'.That need not necessarily be deterrent II
the United States must have the greatest navy, it
is essential to its security and well being the United
States should have the navy and take the war. But
United States should not deceive itself to the
war.
Greet Britain has to have the greatest navy or
the British empire ceases 70 exist. The moment the
British FLOW another nation to exceed them in naval
strength British empire exists by sufferance and
not by power to exist
when the British permit another nation to out
build them for the sea they have consented to the
dissolution of their empire and to the possible sub
jugation OF their home islands.
1.-The United States does not need the greatest
navy for its existence 1t needs the second navy.
Incomparably the second navy. if you want to con-
tinue the presidential phrase. 1t should so far out
build Japan and Germany that neither nation would
dare risk battle with the u. S. A. With such a
navy the Atlantic and PACIFIC will be the friends
of the United States described by Lew Dock
stader.
ITO set out to outbuild Great Britain is to set out
for war with Great Britain. The British do not
care and cannot afford to where they find this
building whether it is by whites, yelows or blacks
Americans, Hollanders Germans, French, Italians
Russians Turks. japanese. Chimes, or Hottentots
1.-The British do not necessarily dislike the people
they will fight for naval supremacy hut they must
have the supremacy or go under. If our national
requirements include naval supremacy we might as
we'll prepare for the fight. Fortunately they do not
Next to Great Britain need the largest navy.
Canada as a hostage. is as good protection against
Great Britain as we need. The United States would
do better to use the British navy than to fight for it.
and the battle is certainty
.all possibility of preserving, peace will disappear
the moment our naval building program is aimed at
Great Britain The British> will first endeavor to
outbuild our outbuildng program. The British tax
psyer will tire of that. 1t will be cheaper to fight
I'VE are big enough, rich enough and strong
enough to have the worlds greatest navy II we set
about it, but before get it we shall have the
worlds greatest fight and when we nave IL the
worlds greatest empire will have disappeared
..And when we have it, we shall be entitled to ask
what it is for and it worth the price we paid
and the English speaking world paid. For something
we do not need we shall have done something we
do not want to do-fought the greatest war for the
greatest navy.