Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-12-16
GREATEST NAVY IN
WORLD FOR j. s. IS
ASKED BY DANIELS
Secretary Insists on Contin-
uation of Building Pro-
gram-Borah Would Seek
Disarmament

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14.-Declar-
ing that world conditions of "chaos,
disagreement and trouble" made con-
tinuation of naval and aircraft build
ing by the United States imperative,
Secretary Daniels today, before the
house naval committee, reiterated his
recommendation for an American
navy equal to any other in the world
and asserted that "the United States
must protect what it has,.
mo one knows the future rela-
tons of the nations of the world"
said Mr., Daniels. ct would be a
blunder almost equal to a crime for
the United States to enter into an
alliance with any two Or three ma
lions, either to suspend or curtail
naval building or for any other pur-
pose. It would certainly make for
suspicion among the other nations of
the world. I profoundly believe that
the United States cannot afford to
take a five-year naval holiday as 1t
has been rumored England and Japan
will suggest to this country. l wish
that wa could have world agree
ment that would settle, disputes with
out recourse to arms, but until that
comes ami comes surely, we ought
to carry out our naval building pro-
gram"
Koontz's Testimony
In support of the belief that the
United States could not agree with
Great Britain and Japan to stop the
building of armament, the secretary
allowed Admiral Koontz. chief of
naval operations, to quote figures
showing the relative first line
strength of the three nations.
eff the three nations should stop
allN construction now the United
States would have a first line
strength of 46S,000 tons, Great Brit
ain S64650 tons and Japan 326.O2O,
said Admiral Koontz.
Secretary Daniels referred. to the
fact that an alliance exists between
Great Britain and Japan.
| While Mr.. Daniels was testifying,
Senator Borah, of Idaho, introduced
in the senate a resolution requesting
the president to enter into agree
ments with Great Britain and Japan
to reduce naval ornaments.
| Complexion OF tne present July
[frig program, wAth the addition of a
| few vessels to round out the fleet
will make the United States SUI
prerne, Mr.. Daniels said, unless
vast amount of construction is I'M
dertaken by another nation: y.
II proclaim myself pacifist, salo
Mr.. Daniels, land 1 make these rec
Concentrations regretfully.. But until
a world agreement on disarmament
comes surely and has been in opera
| ton long enough to assure Its estab-
lishment, we must continue our
building.
| "It would be blunder worse
than a crime for the United States
to enter into an agreement with two
or three other nations to stop building.
1t would create world suspicion, in
stead of world stability. Unless
we enter into an agreement with all
the nations of the world we must
be prepared to protect our great
coast line and all our island posses
sions by a preponderance of naval
strength"
Mr.. Daniels claimed elect
Harding in a speech at Norfolk shar-
ed this view.
ct think it is rather fortunate nat
his mind runs along with NINE
Mr.. Daniels said that he does not
propose any immediate appropria-
lions for the new building program
| because of the incompleted state of
the present program and the fact
that the condition of the treasury
prohibits any appropriations for a
| new program.
| To round out the present building
program Mr. Daniels recommended
the construction of two huge sublna-
rine cruisers, five mine laying sub
marines, one airp1ane carrier, Eve
cruisers andtwo gunboats.
Senator Borah in his resolution
took the exact opposite of Mr.. Dan
iels' view, citing the recent declara-
ton of the Japanese delegation of
the League of Nations assembly that
Japan cannot reduce ornaments In
til this country does.
The naval building programs IF
these three great powers would be
reduced annually for the next five
years by fifty per cent of the esti-
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