The Washington herald., 1919-01-31
League Of Nations a ''Sew-
ing Circle" He Tells
House Committee.
VICTORY FOR DANIELS
Policy viii Be Adopted
Today, Strongest Op-
ponents Yielding.

program will be approved by the
House Naval Affairs Committee to-
day, when 1t takes a final vote on
the naval appropriation bill. Some
OF the strongest opponents of the
administration's construction plans
admit that "it looks as IL a ma
jority OF the committee is with the
Secretary
Members of the committee favor
ing the administrations navy policy
received strong support yesterday
from Admiral Henry T. Mayo, COM
mander of the Atlantic feet. In
his testimony before the committee,
the admiral declared that Congress
should authorize Immediately the
building of the greatest navy in the
world.
This should be done, he urged. re-
gardless of what the Peace Confer
ence may do. The admiral said that
in his opinion there will be no inter-
national police force, and this pos
sibility should not be permitted to
enter into the determination of our
naval policy. Referring to the pro-
posed league OF nations, he said:
Calls 1t .sewing Circle"
This idea is rapidly getting down
to a sewing circle, with no means Of
enforcement and with no international
police force
Another important factor back of
the visible confidence of the big navy
advocates that favorable action will
be taken by the committee is believed
to be a statement reported to have
been received by cable from President
Wilson, urging Congress to adopt Sec
retary Daniels reconm endations. No
denial was made of previous published
reports that the President had been
asked to give his views on the sub
ject. and although no member of the
committee would admit yesterday that
such a message had been received,
there was a general understanding
about the Capitol that such was the
case.
Except for the second three-year
building program the naval bill is
known to have been completed for a
week. The final vote on the three
year program was postponed from last
week until today. it was understood,
in order to afford time to cable the
President and receive his reply.
With the new building plans adopt
ed. the bill as 1t leaves the committee
will carry appropriations aggregating
ss2S. 00o, 900, including sS5, 200 900 for the
first year $500 OF the new program.
Authorization to be granted will in
crease the total to about $500 10000.
sixteen Capital Ships.
The new building plans will pro-
vide for sixteen capital ships. Men,
bers of the committee who will vote
for proposed construction have de-
cided that II would be unwise to fix
exactly the type of capital ships to
be built. This Is in line with the
recommendations of Admiral Mayo.
The idea seems to be that details of
designs should be left to the navy
experts, who in that event would be
free to take advantage of the lessons
taught by the war.
The admiral said that the present
plans for both the Dreadnaughts and
battle cruisers should be modified.
He suggested a composite type, en-
bracing the lighting advantages Of
the Dreadnausht, the speed of the
cruiser and the most powerful guns
that can be built. with 12-inch armor
instead of heavier armor. which ex-
perience has taught was not neces-
sary.
II there is time for notifications.
the admiral advised. new types should
be studied, determined upon and ap-
proved. II there is not time to mod
ify the plans of ships authorized, he
recommended that they be built with
out delay. He continued:
"Now,, Says Mayo.
The present is the time, and the
only time, for US to create the great
er navy that believe we need. FL
nancisl centers are about to shift
from Europe to America, with all
the resultant jealousies. II we
should postpone upbuilding the
navy now, other nations, inclined to
question it, will ask why we are
expanding and whether our policy
conflicts with theirs. But II we do
it now, II will not be questioned by
other nations.
I'VE know what the Presidents
former speeches, and we know that
Secretary Daniels favors a greater
navy. Furthermore, we know what
our policy is to be regarding an
American merchant marine. From
that We can deduce the difficulties
the navy will face il called upon to
defend our policy. Everything con-
sidered, my idea is that this is the
exact time to go the limit in ex-
nondfno tho