The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1920-03-26
CONGRESS BLAMED FOR
NAVY RUINATION
Mr.. Small Lays Failure To Congress
For Not Increasing The NaVy's S
Paw

Washington, D. C.-"Navy is Fac
ing Ruin-Failure of House to ACT
on pay Bill Causes Distintegration"
runs the headline of an article In
Washington paper which takes Con-
gress to task for it's policy in deal
ing with the departments in its pro-
gram of false economy" through
which the Republican leaders are at
tempting to fool the public into be-
lieving that it is saving money to the
taxpayers.
THE American Navy, once the
proud boast of .he Nation, rapidly is
distintegrating while the leaders OF
the House of Representatives allow
day after day and week after week
to go by without taking the simple
step of appointing conference to
reach an agreement with the Senate
for an increase in pay of the enlist
ed personnel step which would
save to the navy many of the train
ed men who now are quitting the
service as fast as they can find way
OUT runs the first paragraph OF the
article, which is from the pen or
Robert II. Small, one of the best
known, most widely read and
thoroughly reliable of Washington
correspondents. Mr.. Small was with
the Associated Press for many years
going overseas for that service dur
ing the war, and none of the Wash
ington newspapers writer's has
wider acquaintance with public men
and affairs than he.
Without any desire to be sensa-
tional," says Mr.. SmalPs article, II
is only solemn truth to state that the
navy today is not ready for any sort
of emergency, and could not be
made ready for many months. 1t is
undermined. Most of the enlisted
men" are boys II and 18 years OF
age, absolutely green hands"
The reason for Congress failure
to act is not explained says The
Post but Mr.. Small suggests that
Perhaps is is a part of the economy
program of the House leaders,. The
House has permitted weeks to pass,
and yet there has been no action.
Even Senate leaders have criticised
the House for its inactlon, put
nothing has stirred the House lead
ers. They have been content to let
the matter wait until such time as
they should choose to act" comments
Mr.. Small.
Citing the important place the pet
ty officers hold in the navy ma
chine, they being to the navy what
the non-commissioned officers are to
the army, Mr.. Small writes that these
petty officers have been leaving the
navy as fast as circumstances have
permitted. Some have spent as
much as twenty years in the service
loved it and expected to spend their
lives in it. Navy officials have held
many of these men in the service
with the hope that Congress would
do something to increase their pay
so as to keep some step with the ad-
vancing cost of living, but nothing
| has been done. Everything waits
on Congress. The Navy Department
| officials can do nothing.
Something definite must be dons
about the navy, and at ones" writes
4 Mr.. Small. Some definite policy
| must be adopted by Congress. Thert
| must be a decision one way or the
| other. Either Congress must deter
| mine to maintain a first+class navy IL
| hrSt-claSS nSntlnS lrln, OF H. muS
| determine to abolish the navy alto
| gether. There is no intermediate
| grounds"
The authorized enlisted strength
| of the navy is 100000 men; there
are about 10000 in the navy now, Of
| whom only about 5000 have served
| one or more enlistments. Congress:
by it's niggardly policy. has failed
| not only to make the sea service un
inviting to recruits, but impossible
| as a career for those already in the
| service.
The second-greatest navy in thu
| world, the Navy that put 'en
across" transporting two million
| soldiers to France without single
loss of life, a navy comprising of the
| finest fighting crafts afoat, is beins
/ allowed to disintegrate through th'
niggardly policy Of congress con
trolled by seven members of the Re
publican steering committee" which
| wields more power than Speaker
Cannon possessed when he was a
his zenith.