The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1919-01-03
If Peace Tribunal Fails We Should
Be Ready to Aid Weak.
NERlcA SEcoND ON SEAS
Designs on Other Nations-Cis-
oses Strength of Nav:es, Show
;na Uncle Sam Flas 1917 Ships,
Headed by SO Battieshipo.

ates, having pledged it's support to
lall nations, should build a navy sec
nd to none in the world if an interna-.
tional tribunal with power to enforce
It's rulings failed to become reality.
lie was speaking in behalf OF the $780,
100000 naval building program
"A large navy is not needed because
the United States has designs upon
other nations territory" Secretary
Daniels said, because this country
has no such designs. But, since we
have pledged our support TO small ma
tions unable to protect themselves we
must be strong enough TO make cur
pledges good"
Mr.. Daniels said the war had
brought out clearly two points: !.
That national differences and greed
for power are unsafe and must be
eliminated. 2. That an international
tribunal with power TO enforce its rul-
ings is essential.
Made Up Mind Quickly.
Representative Kelly Of Michigan
asked the secretary when he first came
to the conclusion that America should
have a navy second to none in the
world
AT came to that conclusion when the
war broke OUT was the reply. "Un-
I'll that time I believed that the work
ing people who suffer most from wars,
and bankers and business men who
pay for wars, should be considered be
fore the militarists. But when l real
lied that the militarists of another ma
ton might plunge the world into war
at their will, ] realized that l was
wrong. Unless we have navy which
can lick any other navy in the world,
we may as we'll have none"
The secretary submitted TO the COM
mittee a report showing the present
comparative strengths of the large nav
les of the world. Great Britain has
in operation or building 81 battleships,
Is battle cruisers, 81 heavy cruisers,
Ill light cruisers, ZIG patrol and gum
boats 400 destroyers, 90 submarines,
90 torpedo boats, 30 flotilla leaders,
22O airships and S97 miscellaneous
ships.
France has % battleships, p cruis-
ers, 8 light cruisers, 81 destroyers,
121 torpedo boats. 20 submarines, 30
airships and 1873 other craft. Italy
has Is battleships, z cruisers, 10
light cruisers. 5 monitors, Is f1otilla
leaders, "a destroyers, SO torpedo
boats S5 submarines, 30 airshipS and
442 miscellaneous vessels
Russia before quitting the war had
10 battleshfps, light cruisers, l.
heavy and light cruisers, 128 destroy
ers, "a submarines, 10 torpedo boats,
IA airships and 90 miscellaneous yes
se4s.
The United States, with the second
largest navy in the world, has built
or projected 80 battleships, battle
cruisers, armored cruisers, 40 light
cruisers, 342 destrOyers, 181 subma-
rines Is coast torpedo vessels, IL tor
pedo boats and $50 other vessels
Before the armistice was signed Ger
many had AZ battleships, battle
cruisers, 81 other cruisers 223 destroy
ers, 175 torpedo boats, 243 submarines
and 564 miscellaneous vessels.
May interrupt the Program.
The clause to provide for Interrupt
ton of the building program if neces-
sary after the peace conference Sec
rotary Daniels proposed as follows:
IF, at any time, the construction au-a
thorized by this act shall have been
contracted for, there have been estab-
lished, with the cooperation of the
United States of America, an interna-
tional tribunal or tribunals competent
to secure peaceful determination of all
international disputes and which shall
render unnecessary the maintenance of
competitive ornaments, then. and In
that case, such naval expenditures as
may be inconsistent with the en-
gagements made in the establishment
of such tribunal OF tribunals, may be
suspended when so ordered by the
president of the United States"
Concentration now upon the con-
struction of capital ships was urged
by Secretary Daniels, who pointed out
that in combating the submarine men
ance the navy has acquired an excess.
of small craft.
He told the committee that the sign
ing of the armistice led him to defer
a trip 10 Europe planned for this
month.