The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-03-13
WASHINGTON FEARS
BRITISH PLAN
Construction of Colonial
> Navies Would Give 1t
Great Supremacy
SECRETARY DANIELS
QUESTIONED ABOUT'IT
Thinks United States Should Construct
at Once Largest Navy of the World
Regrets That We Did Not Build
Before the War.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Copyright 1920 by The Reformer)
WASHINGTON, March b. The
navy department of the United States
looks askance at the plans of Great
Britain to stimulate the building of a
navy in each of her colonial posses
sions, including Canada, Australia, and
New Zealand, believing that thus the
combined naval strength of the British
empire will be greater than it has been
before, and will virtually nullify the
public statements of Sir Auckland
Geddes, the new British ambassador,
and other British officials to the effect
that England is planning a reduction
of naval armament.
The discussion here is oceasioned by
the completion of a report by Admiral
Jellicoe after a trip around the world
in which he has advised the British
colonies on plans for naval defense.
Particularly did this arouse comment
here in connection with Canadian M
val defense, for there never has been
any feeling here that the two neigh
boring countries needed any naval YES
sells on the Great Lakes, and from this
fact it has been usually supposed that
special naval defense for Canada would
| never be attempted On the other
| hand, it cannot be said that the qups-
| tiOn has been thoroughly canvasscd
and it is early to reflect Washington
| opinion.
Thus far the project of charging
the entire British navy through sep
arate colonial navies is coming in for
| q good deal of adverse comment and
/ Canada is not singled out especially
Indeed, coming upon the heels of the
! controversy over the right Of the Brit
| ish colonies to vote as six units in the
league Of nations, the question of
| building nayies for the British nations
as we'll has already been seized upon
by persons none to friendly to British
| cooperation as a vehicle for further
argument In that direction.
The sensitive attitude of congress
and the navy department may be dis
covered in the stenographic record, Just
available. Of Secretary Daniels's testi
mony before the house naval affair,
| committee:
Representative Browning-Did vol
see an article in this mornings paper
in regard to the English navy
Secretary Daniels-Yes.
Mr.. Browning Saying that they Iii,
not expect it to be any larger thar
the American navy?
Secretary Daniels saw that.
Mr.. Browning YOU any com
ment to make on that statement?
Secretary Daniels OF course
would not try to make any common
on it as being official unless ! had M
official statement from Great Britain
] would not like to assume anything.
Mr.. Browning do not presume of
fetal
The Chairman n 1t purported T.
quote the ambassador who is coming
i to this country, and. Mr. Secretary
if that statement should be veri fed
in other words, if this statement OF
the ambassador should turn out to b,
the policy of Great Britain-what hav,
You to say about it?
Secretary Daniels would like tC
ask whether that is the policy of Great
Britain as represented in parliament
in London, or whether, instead Of
building these great ships by Great
Britain, through the imperial govern
ment, the increase is to be made il
line with the policy for which Lore
Jellieoe has been going around tn,
world. where he has proposed to Can
ada, New Zealand and the English
colonies that they should themselve,
build a navy, which they have not hac
heretofore. In that case it might b,
that the imperial government in Lon,
don would not add ships, but the col
+ Cnies would.
| Mr. Hicks: As | understand it, Mr.
Secretary, you stated that unless the
league of nations is entered into by
the United States, you feel constrained