Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-01
THE PEACE OF A STRONG MAN ARMED

a u
THE most significant announcement
regarding the attitude of the United
states which has come from Paris was
contained in dispatch to this newspaper
from Clinton W. Gilbert. printed on Sat.
urday, December 81. Mr. Gilbert cabled
that:
Part two (of the American policy will
insist that the American navy ,yIual that
OF the greatest power. ANY agreement
with England on the freedom Of the seas
VIII not place the American navy subor-
duatc TO any other. During the war Amer
lCa has counted every nsval shin built
and authorized in England. and she i'll
tends 10 remain on an equal footing.
We discussed this announcement AT
length on the following Monday, and
interpreted It as an informal notice to the
Peace Conference that this nation. when
had gone into the war to assist in estab-
fishing justice, was one Of tn great
powers OF the world whose views must he
reckoncd with. and also that this nation
was prepared 10 hold its own in any con
test which might arise if her Just views
were not respected. And now Secretary
Daniels in explaining the naval program
Of his department has gone even farther
than We did in setting forth the relation
of that program to The peace negotiations.
lie asks that Congress authorize the build
ing Of ten tirst-class battle ships, six battle
cruisers, ten small scout cruisers and one
hundred and thirty small craft The com.
petion Of This program Will pat us Oh an
equality with Great Britain, for ii will
give uS ~iXty-'wo lrst-class battlcsnlps.
while Great Britain has s.Nty-one at pres
en-, IN commission. IT." explained to the
%ayaI Committee Of the Iolsc:
Before Hro'" N.r annual l.aof, 7 ,ool.
up the matter with the President and then
later after the armistice wa, signed
spoke 10 him again on thr subject He
very earnestly urges that this program he
adopted Soothing would 50 aid him in the
Peace Conference H. CongrcSs's authori1a-
tion of big navy.
Neither tlc President Lor the Seeretar,-
Of tire Navy IS Ignoring the uncertainties
Of the Peace Conference. Mr. Daniels was
undoubtedly speaking for the Admlristra.
tiou when ne said further:
suppose the powers DO not agree 10 cur
tail armament Then IL is entirely obvious
80 all 'na- tu" Iu.ied States, if she is 70
realize her destiny as the leader OF demo
.HN
that viii br as powerful as that or ary,
La'lon .u the void.
h. is uy rwu conviction tlat + the CON
ference aJ Versailles does not TesuI, in a
general agreement 20 put an end 20 naval
building on the part Of the nations, thon
t.o United states must bend her energies.
must give hnr D. ~ and give her money 20
'.a task Of ia" creation of lucOmuarably
ra- greatest navy in 'hr world. She
rs tuooruarably rich, incomparablv strong
I'm natural resources. II 1ocd be she 1,lr,St
d, ,Hcout tpdrdJiy StronG i7 dcfcrsc against
Ggarosgors oHd n oGCgsc against crtl.
doCrg.
Mr. Daniels is no, speaking for the
Administration alone when he talks in this
vein. lie is putting into words the hopes
and purposes Of self-rcspoctlng, red-blooded
Americans Of all political parties. The little
statesmen Of Europe, who are iockeying
FOR position in the hope Of getting some
thing out of the Peace Conference to which
their countries are not justly entitled, can.
not mistake the significance Of such words
as the American Secretary Of the Navy
has delivered himself Of in the publicity OF
q congressional committee room