The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-05-15

I speak not of the reservations so much discussed in 1920 when the Senate was debating the League af Nations.
 My reservation has indeed to do with a league or an association or an
 understanding with the other great nations of the world.
 THE BEST IS YET TO BE" This applies, however, more to auan-
 tity and cost of fighting craft than to type and quality. For we must remem-
 be: that our generation need hope that the world, and all parts of the world will become so amenable to reason that | it will not be necessary to maintain for some years to come some kind of policeman on the seas Even if all the great powers are wise enough to make an agreement which will provide for
 the effective settlement of disputes by international judgment, there will still be needed a. sufficient mobile force to execute the decree and to prevent war like nations from taking advantage Of those which reduce their armament You will note I say "our' generation 1 am proud to belong to that despised class of people sometimes called ideal fsts and sometimes called fools who believe the dream of a world free from war and the fear of war will one of these days come true. l know that the Imilitarists think that an idealist and fool are one and inseparable; but ] also know that those who put their trust only in what they can see and touch have always secuted and scorned the faith of those who believe that
 the best is yet to be-"
 My reservation being understood, return to the discussion of the ques- tion with which we began.
 NAVY ON WATER OR IN AIR?
 Are we to look for a navy in the flu ture which will fight in the. air rather than on the sea?
 A few years ago-indeed until 1914 we thought of a navy in terms oi dreadnaughts and cruisers and de- destroyers and other surface craft. The sailing ship of the line in Nelson's day and the ship of the line in our day prior to the World war differed mainly in that the former used sails and fought at shorter range. It is, ol course, true that before 1914 subma- rines had been built, and some maya, experts had regarded them as valuable auxiliaries of a powerful fleet. But the older officers, with few exceptions looked upon them so purely as auxil- iaries that they were treated like red Heetueu StepCHlluren In naval admins tration
 When I became Secretary of the Navy there were a lot of young mer keen about the possibility of the sub. marine, but naval officers responsible for operations had given undersea craft no independent organization or direction.
 In 1914, c ilian Secretary of the Navy out of civilian faith that new agencies ought to be given every chance to demonstrate their value. de. creed separate organization for sub. marines under the direction of an ad. miral.
 CREATION OF AMERICAN BRAINS
 But none of us even then sensed the tremendous, the. almost decisive part the submarine was to play in the wal just ahead of us. We did not know what Germany had up her sleeve Gu, foresight did not catch the vision ot great undersea ships able to cruise al long distances, crossing the ocean anc sinking vessels in sight of the Ameri. was not until the war was far ad
 vanced that the necessary defensive against the Uboat was developed. A. the submarine was the creation ot American brains, so the antidote to ii was conceived in America.
 Now, however the argument as tc the continuing value of the dread naught may end, there can be no doubt that in the next war-if there should be next war-the submarine vii