Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-12-14
RULERS OF THE WAVE
tn SECRETARY DANIELS repo

RlJI Frs OF THE WAVE
e,,cnrr,,,
'"> NE AM DH''iHhH report 10
=. Congress which is in effect request for
SOO,OO 900 with which to make ours lin
comparably the greatest navy in the world
there is a clear suggestion of the mood of
tne stern patriarch VINO would Visit unreient'
lns pun>shment on us Tor our sins ot lg-
noranc' VT oiuiSS'on'
Mr. Daniels believed HealouSly in the
League of Nations as Mr.. Wilson conceived
It. II" said repeatedly that we should have
to pay to the hilt with armament II We
didn't follow the Presidents advice. These
to him nrc the days of reckoning. He can
nercev" no middle course between American
participation in the concert Of European
lowers and building program formulated
TO give this country n navy greater than
any other in the world. No one with
memory will accuse Mr.. Daniels of deliberate
jtnGoiSm. But that does not mean that his
opinion should b. accepted without question
or debate.
The navy Of the United States is now
second only to the navy Of Great Britain
|, is superior in tonnage and general couip-
mrnt to the combined sea forces of Japau,
France and Italy. SO any justification for
its enlargement on grand scale must rest
upon the assumption of possible future
trouble. between our country and the British.
1t is reasonable to SUPPOSE that the secretary
Of the navy and his stats should know more
about undcrcurrents of international affairs
thah thc casual locker on and that they
wish to b" prepared for even the most remote
of possible evrntuatics.
But it is clear, too. that any ono who
wants to start first class war with any of
the European nations nowadays will have to
go TO considerable trouble to do it. Even
Americans are disillusioned about war Eu-
ropcanS the people who have been doing the
fighting and who would have to do il in the
future, are utterly and incuraby sick of
TINT sort of business. There are in this
country a considerable number Of people
who, Ilk" Mars" Henry WnttcrSOn, ache for
"A tight with England. Marsc Henry
wants 10 march up Piccadilly before he dies
az" p"' I"' H'"'S nn" S'rIpeS on thc Marble
.,''"' ~ nus J"St H"'u as nu'h IN print.
.'.', W Wv ',,.m m- WI" 'o'u tue r''hS or gov
.'!I' ra',';i''I III ',,.,"'H na'r or'n giving tn"
',hp,'' M,iI' % Prr'I qua ADVERTISING ana som"
y, u!r '"'"sS '""t nave peeh happening in
i,r,.t lntHn p|HHrNS.o'S ''r'hihIF VIII not make
i''''s. ,u.' N'r"' 'oEno." ana perfect thing
~ "''I,'N' "''""S' n"t 'he trouble with
""''' i""'H "",' wiz" 'h"Se whose minds
~" ,s "rS - '""' 'u'H nav" ior-
S"'''" '""' Wv, '"S''H" P"opI" themselves
nnVt o'F' p'W"a'r"d ana d'SguSted by tn"
~ ~ '"'H VI S"',' VI 'n''r Ntht'Sih'h ana that
,"'N '"'' JuH'"" "H "rd'h'N as any other
P'"P''
ii MnrSc Henry ever could find tho army
OF ',lN dreams and II h" ever could march it
up ficradIlIy h" would havc to trnmplc not
over the few men who do wrong--thoy
always ind places Of Safcty--but over the
plain people. VIII" in all wars fought on the
side of liberty and right. plain people who
wnnt out of life only what the masses of
Americans want out of it. It is not ALWAYS
easy in times of crises and confusion for any
people 70 make its government clearly repre-
sentative. 1t is worth remembering this now
when So many great wrongs seem to BE- sane.
toned by nations and governments cntaugled
in the immediate and terrific consequences OF
| the great war.
Those who continue IN toIk or r,io.;o,
bctwnen Uritain and the Tnitnd Sta,o,, ~
NOT ALWAYS ston 10 think of vLo, .LoI,
rnntions might lend Them tn ,rboro - W.
both Sides Of the world cnonyb ir,oIIoo.,,ni ""
balance forever to prcyent a scrinr. hroonh
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