The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-14
NAVAL HOLIDAY
BE BAD BLUNDER
Daniels Three Year Program
Doomed by House.
BOrah Wants Cessation Agrees
ment With Two Nations.
UNITED STATES NOW SUPREME
Present Program Not Nearly
Complete, Says Secretary.
Wants Eighty-Eight More YES
sells Built by 1924.

Washington. Dec. 1.-THE request
of Secretary Daniels that congress
authorize another three-year naval
building program if the United States
does not enter a league of nations
will be refused by the house naval
affairs committee. a canvass of COM
mittee members today showed.
The committee is virtually unani-
nous against the suggestion of Daniels
who appeared before it today to out
line the reason for his request for a
construction program calling for So
ships.
The 1916 program, according to
Chairman Butler and other committee
men, upon its completion, which pro-
badly will be by January 1rs<524, will
make the United States the greatest
naval power in the world, even allow
ing for some uncontemplated addition
by Great Britain.
L. S. Almost Supreme.
The completion of the present
building program will give the United.
States a supremacy of 81 percent over
Great Britain in the first line fight
ing shipszdreadnaugh and battle
cruisers said Representative Britton,
Illinois, a member of the committee.
Daniels said navy recruiting is in
creasing. the enlisted strength going
from 100 900 to 10000 during the last
year.
He recommended the removal of the
naval war college from Newport, r.
J.. to Washington, so that it can be in
close touch with naval operations.
naval Holiday Blundcr.
For the United States TO agree with
two or three other nations for "holi-
day" in naval construction would be "a
blunder worse than a crime" Secre-
tary Daniels told the house naval az
fairs committee.
The United States can agree to such
a suspension of new construction only
when all the nations of the world
agree to do likewise, Daniels asserted.
He strongly recommended the prompt
completion of the huge three-year
building program of 1916 and asked
for the authorization of another pro-
gram calling for the building of SS
vessels.
Completion Of the present building
program with the addition of a few
vessels to round out the fleet, will
make the United States supreme.
Daniels said, unless a vast amount of
construction is undertaken by other
nations.
No New Appropriations.
Daniels said ne does not propose any
immediate appropriations for the new
building program because of the in
completed state of the present program
and the fact that the condition of the
treasury prohibits any appropriations
for new program.
To round out the present building
program, Daniels recommended con-
struction of two huge submarine
chasers. five mine laying submarines,
one airplane carrier, five cruisers and
two gunboats.
Borah in his resolution took the ex-
act opposite of Daniels view. citing
the recent declaration of the Japanese
delegation of the league assembly that
Japan cannot reduce ornaments until
this country does.
War Repeats to House.
Speculation today as to it's possible
fate in the senate followed the passage
in the house late yesterday without an
opposing vote of the VoIstead resolu-
ton repeating most of the wartime
legislation.
The repeal measure was broadened
at the last moment by the adoption of
an amendment including the Lever
food control act.
AS it goes before the senate. the
measure leaves for re-,eal only the
trading with the enemy act, the war
finance corporation act, measures
dealing with issuance of liberty and
victory bonds and the District of Co.
lumbia rent act.
War Finance Is Opposed.
The fight to secure relief for farm
ers today passed to the hands of mem
bers of the house from southern and
western states. They were besieging
house leaders today to take up i'm
mediately the resolution reviving the
war finance corporation which was
passed by the senate without a record
vote late yesterday.
Many house leaders are against the
measure which is aimed to open up
foreign markets for the products of
the farm and to stay declining prices.
Capper-Herman Bill Up.
The Capper Herman bill to author
lie cooperative marketing by agrfcul-