The Washington herald., 1921-01-02
Armament Truce Talk
Recalls Wilson's Scheme
Of Sea Control.
DOUBLE SIZE OF
ENGLAND'S FLEET
Commander of Giant
Squadron Would Have
Vast Powers.
By FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.


Oorrent discussion in the United
States and abroad of a temporary
cessation Of naval armaments lends
timely interest to a project, drawn
UP for President Wilson two years
ago, for a league Of nations navy.
Some details Of the scheme have
Just come to the knowledge Of the
Public Ledger bureau in Washing
ton. 1t is not ascertainable here
whether it ever reached the stage
of discussion and consideration at
Paris, or not, but it was prepared,
presumably at the Navy Department
and under Josephus Daniels direc-
tiOn, for the Presidents use at the
Peace Conference.
The plan contemplated a super
navy under the flag and direction
of the league of nations. Its main
provisions were:
1. The league supremacy" was
to be an international police force,
kept in readiness for instant action
anywhere in the world against
malefactOrs who violated the league
covenant. One of its principal func-
tions would have been to institute
and maintain an economic blockade
against an offending nation.
2. The league navy was to be of
crushing strength. Its fighting ef-
feCtiveness, in ships and gun
power, was to be at least double
that of any constituent member OF
the league. Thus, if the league
navy were to be created today 1t
would be kept at twice the size
the strongest afioat.
3. The league navy was to be
made up of squadrons supplied by
all the sea-powers belonging to the
league in proportion to their rela.
tive naval strength at time of con-
stitutiOn of the league.
4. No single nation was to be al
lowed at any time to be repre-
sented in the league navy by more
than % per cent Of the league
navy's total strength. --- ...--~- -
3. 1t was TO be commanded by
three officers of admirals' rank,
each representing a different ma
tiOn.
s. The commander-in-chie was to
be the president of the council of
the league of nations.
aAc OF FEOJect In Doubt.
1t is considered probable that
President Wilson may have deter
mined not to submit or press his
supremacy project when Frances
somewhat parallel scheme for an
International army fell through.
Only the statesmen who were in the
inner circle of the league OF nations
commission. out of the deliberations
OF which the draft covenant even
tually emerged. know what became
OF President Wilson's naval scheme
If, indeed, it ever was brought to
their attention That it was drawn
up in detail by American naval ex-
perts is undoubted. Copies OfEthe
project still are in existence as
confidential documents.
Wilson Is represented as having
been won over, before leaving
America to battle for his conception
of a league of nations. to the idea
that the supremacy scheme would
put into the league teeth" of a
biting and grinding kind. 1t is not
ascertainable whether he was the
author Of the scheme or not. But he
is said to have been convinced,
when he packed the draft project
into his papers for his first Paris
trip, that If the super-navy could
be organized, it virtually would
put up the bars for all time against
new aggressors against liberty
like the Germany of 1914.
A commentator on the plan OBJ
served today that theaPresident, had
the United States promptly entered
the league, undoubtedly would have
been elected its first president. He
would in that event have become
eommander-in-chief Of the super
navy with control of the mightiest
aggregation Of sea power ever
projected. That would have con-
ferred upon a less pacifically-minded
league president than woodrow
Wilson, it was observed, the ways
and means for ruling the world"