The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1920-07-03
AMERICAN navy ALONE
CAN Save FEk FREEDOM
BrlttOn, Of Illinois, Gives Facts To
COntrOyert Presidents Pet
Treaty Expression.

only means af maintaining freedom
of the seas" is the Republican answer
to the British league Of nations pact.
Representative Britton, of Illinois,
thus expresses the Republican idea
at is argued by friends of Great
Britain that she simply will not allow
us to supercede her on the high seas,
and to these | can only reply that Eng
land is now completing hut enc battle
cruiser of the Hood type of 4l.20O tons
displacement with a 31-knot speed,
carrying eight l5-inch guns, which is
in no direction the equal Of our lndi-
ana type of superdreadnousht of AZ
600 tons and 23-knot speed carrying
twelve 16-inch guns, and that during
the rast ~ months Great Britain has
destroyed the form works and keel of
at least one sister ship of the Hood
type in the interest of economy. and |
maintain that until she can pay in
terest On her bonded Indebtedness, at
least to her foreign creditors, she
would not be justified in going ahead
with costly competitiev battleship
program, and particularly so not with
US. when she realizes fcllv that we
have mo designs upon anytime she
may have.
while the nride Of England may be
hurt bv her slide into second rlace
amcng the naval powers of the world,
she certainly can not hone 10 success
fully comnete against us " we are
really determined TO take the Mace we
! tire entitled TO on the seas as the
worlds foremos, nation and where
American commerce can receive the
protection 1t failed to get prior to our
entrance into the World War.
"The phrase the freedom of the
seas will mean jus exactly what II
says, and our supremacy will never
Justify the control aud regulation OF
the commerce OF all nations merely be-
cause We have the power TO do so, as
England has done in the past, much to
our disappointment and, at times, hui
! initiation.
IF the naval establishments on the
Pacific Coast pSies " She last year
were but adequate for a few obsolete
cruisers and gunbeats, they certainly
are now thoroughly inadequate TO sup
ply the wants OF that portion OF the
American navy which commerce and
diplomacy, and II Is quite hard to ex-
plain Just why great naval base in
San Francisco Bay is not now IN
course of construction.
"Mr. Speaker, some years ago the
Helm Commission was appointed by
act of Congress 10 make thorough
study OF conditions on the Pacific
Coast and to report its findings tC
Congress,
"Among other things, the Commits
: sion said that in order to be as eff
lectively operated in the Pacific as II
the Atlantic the size of the fleet nov
existing and authorized for makes
desirable immediate provision for
marked extension in berthing, dock
l ing, and repair facilities on the Pacific
Coast
: For strategic reasons 1t was foun'
necessary and desirable that Their
should be at least two navy yards o
the first class on the Pacific Coast o
: the United States; that the strategic
location, physical characteristics, in
dustrial advantages, and defensibil't.
. of the navy yard at Puget Sound ar
of such character as to make Its de
velopment as one of these yards no
only necessary and desirable but i'm
perative, In view of the requirement
! of that region for national defense
that the extension Of the present nav,
yard at Mare Island adjacent to Sal
Francisco Bay to meet the require
ments of one of two main navy yard
on the Pacific Coast is impractcable
due to physical limitations, but tina
its development within certain restric
tons is desirable, practicable, an
recommended.