The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-03-19
THE DAILY EDITORIAL DIGEST
National and NOnpartisan Summary of Leading Press
Opinion IN Current Questions and Events.

, stroke. II we do not join In league
with them, they assuredly will joir
in a league against u.s."
| Besides the cost OF building the
largest navy In the world" the Albany
| Argus Qnd. Dem) reminds US, thou
sands of our young men VIII have TO bt
| taken from the productive pursuits o.
peace TO man the extra warships," ano
| the Utica Observer (DeBl,) thinks II
unfortunate" that this ration. fore
most in advocating arbitration, inter
| national courts and laws, reduction OF
armies and paYles--stands out against
reasonable method for the peaceful
settlement OF international differences
and in favor OF gun-totlng by the
nations"
| So much for the arguments In sup
| port of Secretary Daniels position. On
the other side the Fargo Forum (kep. }
| denounces MIR. Daniels as our CHIEF
lingo" pointing out that we need nc
great navy for defensive purposes
since the war with Germany demon
strated the impossibility OF landing an
army on a hostile coast and maintain
ing 1t there" and that therefore ''unless
Secretary Daniels plans TO PICK scraI
with Great Britain" there is no "ex-
cuse for sinking hundreds Of millions in
Incompara3ly the greatest navy that
will become junk in ten or hfteen
years" The Indianapolis Star Una.
Rep agrees with this: I'VE are not
looking for conquest" 1t says, but Tor
protection. SO long as we have the
force requisite for our own defense we
do not need TO worry about what some
other nation has" The Idaho states
man (Rep) regards the Daniels idea
meant merely as a challenge to Eng
land" and believes that II the secre-
tary's advice is followed, England Will
meet the challenge. or attempt 10 40
so. A competition OF this klnd VIII
force enormous increases OF taxation
Tor a period OF years. And all to what
end7 In support of this view, the Koch
ester Democrat and Chronicle (Rep.)
notes that with the German naval mem
ace removed Great Britain has adopted
policy of naval retrenchment. but
that this policy will not be long al
hered to If the impression once Is
created that the United States has be-
come a competitor, in new race Tor
naVay supremacy, in place OF Ger
many" Many agree also with the Bur
lalo Express (Rep.) regarding Mr.. Dan
iels' move as "a political argument IN
the hope of developing sentiment Tor
the league Of nations or making an I'M
preston on the stump during the com
ing campaign"
Not few also. take the view that we
need a big navy anyhow, whether we
join in the league or not. Thus the
Washington Post lld.) says
1.-THE league covenant, as Mr.. Daniels
is bound to know, does not curtail naval
ornaments. Every nation Is free to
place its own Interpretation upon its
own duty and to determine for itself
the size of navy it shall maintain.
England Is already member OF the
league suggests the Dallas Times
Herald Qnd. Dem.), and according to
MIR. Daniels. 1t is urging its colonies
to build ships. IT, therefore, England
a member of the league. finds 1t nee
essary to cling to big shipbuilding
system, how will it be possible for the
United States to enter on small oner'
The same thought Is pursued by the
Seattle Times Ind) which declares
that disarmament will not follow inn
mediately upon the entrance OF the
United States into the league" and
that Americas policy on the sea is
obvious---it needs and must have navy
second to none" And 1t strikes the
Newport News Record Qnd) that THE
senate seems determined to make the
league so ineffective by means OF quail
flying reservations that there Is not
powerful nation in the world that will
be willing to rely upon 1t to prevent
future wars" and that, therefore,
congress will make great mistake II
1t abandons it's program for big navy
until the peoples of the world show a
greater spirit OF Cancellation and har-