The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1921-07-13
THE NAVAL BILL-BORAH-IZED!


A few days ago the House Of Rep.
Iresentatives passed by record vote
the Naval Appropriation Bill with the
Borah disarmament provision attach
ed as a rider. The Senate had prev
iously passed the bill and it now re-
quires only the Presidents signature
to make it law.
The Bill carries the almost I'M
thinkable sum of $5OO,OO0,OOO as the
naval appropriation for the biennium
beginning July first of the present
year. The Borah amendment provides
that the President shall effect con-
ference between the three leading
Iraval powers-England, Japan and
the United States-with view to the
rlrtailment of naval ornaments with
in the next five years. Senator
Borah and a group of advocates of
disarmament had vigorously opposed
the huge sum included IN the Bill, but
yielded in their opposition when the
Ienate agreed to append the disarma-
ment proposal as an amendment.
Senator King, however, was I'M
yielding ia his opposition, declaring
that the appropriation of such an
amount for naval purposes was lit
tie short of plumber of the public
treasury. He declared further that
the American people would rise in in
dignation and smite the Congress for
its heedlessness Of the public clamor
for economy and true disarmametat.
He charged that the amount proposed
was $200,000,000 in excess OF what
the real needs of the country's de-
mand, and the proponents OF the Bill
had resorted to cheap political de-
vices to insure it's passage.
Another significant fact is to be
found in the refusal of the House to
adopt the provision of the Bill relating
to the building of naval aircraft and
In other words, the valu-
able lessons of the War in the use of
aircraft and submersibles meant ab'
solutely nothing to the national Sol
ons. They propose now to go blind
~ forward with a program OF navai
predicated entirely upon
,ra-war theories. They did not even
wait to learn the results of the aerial
,cmbing experiments being conducted
n the Atlantic. but blithely adopted
1, Bill imposing a tax of S. upon prac-
ically every man, woman and chiid
- tho nation for the construction Of
bins that may be obsolete before they
,ro finished. Then, after choking the
main features of the Bill down the
hroats Of the American people-a'-
most ironically, they proceeded 10
adopt the Borah amend
nent looking to disarmament. Ana SO
he pretty farce proceeds!
The Borah plan of a naval holiday
or the three great naval powers Is
If itself n spleidio move and a l0hs
deferred first step n the riGat direct
on. The American people may feei
grateful that it was passed, even as
.ider to the outrageous naval bill,
,ut they will not be deceived by the
scheming militarists in Congress VINO
would conceal their real nature be-
hind a pacific front. They are wolves
--asouerading as sheep. They would
prey upon the peoples funds, and
then try to placate their victims with
m innocent sop. They ostentatiOus-
~ toss a cherished morsel to a wait
ing people. at the same time bleeding
m already over-bled treasury Of 9th
Pr hundreds Of millions Of obsolete
ships.
1t is strange that Senator Borah
could ever have brought himself to
vote for the bill. even with his meas
are attached. The adoption Of the
arlcndment smacks almost Of hypro-
,Y-sy. Had the Senators been sincere
IN their desire for naval disarma-
nent, they would have passed TIE
Borah plan as a separate resolution.
action on the Naval BIZ
until the President could take action
boxing TO a cessation Of ornaments.