New-York tribune., 1921-02-02
Senators Fight
suspension OF
Navy Program
Borah Plan for Six Months
Holiday Meets Opposition
in Committee After Hear
ing Views of Admirals
Sentiment for Capital Ship
Coon'z and Taylor Deny
Grea' Battlesl,ip Is Use
less in Modern Warfare

rom me Irtbnne'S Washington Rure14
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.---No suspen-
sion of the present naval building nro.
gram tor SIX months, as suggested bv
senator Borah, of Idaho. or for anv
othef perlod, is in sight The Senate
NaVal Affairs Committee. at Il MEETING
to-day, after hearing Admiral Robert
T.. Coontz. chief OF naval operations
and Rear Admiral David W. Taylor.
ch!et of the Bureau of CONSTRUCTION,
informally came to the conclusion that
~ was impractical to suspend con-
struction.
Furthermore, the sentiment of the
committee, as it developed, was strong
~ against the idea that the capital
snip is obsolete On the other hand,
'he committee is not disposed to ham
per development in other directions. as
1t unanimously ordered favorable re-
port on the bin of Senator Keyes. of
New Hampshire. to create bureau of
aeronautics in the Navy Department.
The committee had before it the
resolution OF Senator Borah, which
proposes six months suspension of
naval building that there NAV be- an
lnves tlgation as to what constitutes
"a modern fighting navy" Senator
Borah recently cited British and other
authorities to the effect that the capi-
tai ship is obsolete
Admirals Opposed to Suspension
Admiral Coontz and Rear Admiral
Taylor were heard behind closed doors.
They both took the position that it
would be poor policy for the govern
ment to suspend building for six
months. One reason was that it would
result in loss and not economy to the
No. Ii 1
II contractors were required to sus-
pend operations they would either
have to keep their men on the rolls and
pay them or drop them and allow their
forces to be disorganized Material of
all sorts would deteriorate. The re-
suit would be that the government
would be faced with handsome bills
for damages and suits if these were
not paid
Roth officers fatty opposed the view
that the great battleship is obsolete or
practically useless in modern warfare,
The committee, which by its ques-
tions indicated it was in sympathy with
the view Of the admirals, decided to
call on the Navy Department for a re-
port which Will cover the question of
suspension of building and whether the
capital ship is obsolete, This report,
from the General Board, will ba trans
mitted to Senator Page, chairman of
the Naval Committee, Thursday morn
ing. The full committee will meet
then. hear the report and turn it over
to subcommittee consisting Of Sena-
tors PoindeXter, Lodge and Smith, of
Maryland. 1t is expected the report
from the General Board will include a
consideration of the part that should
be taken by battleships, airplanes and
submarines.
The subcommittee will prepare a re-
port to the main committee on the
Borah resolution. 1t is deemed practi-
calIy assured that the committee will
recommend against the Borah resolu-
tion.
Favorable to Strong Navy
he committee feels that to suspend
construction would be to the advan1a pe
OF other great powers rather than the
United States.
The subcommittee, Senator's Poin-