Albuquerque morning journal., 1921-02-12
INFORMATION
NOT TO BE:
GIVEN To
PUBLIC
Poindexter Says There Has
Been "Some Testimony"
Regarding Propaganda
Circulated by England
ARMAMENT REDUCTION
FAVORED BY lDAH0AN
Unless There Is an Agree
ment Reached Between
the Competing Powers it
viii Lead to War, Says.

Washington, Feb. IL
The statement that he had
received suggestions that
Great Britain was "circulat-
ing propaganda" in this
country to deter American
naval building was made in
the senate today by Senator
Borah, republican, Idaho,
during a general debate on
disarmament. He under
stood, he said, that the facts
were in possession of the
navy department.
Senator Poindexter, re-
publican, Washington, au-
thor of the senate naval
committees recent adverse
report on Senator Borah's
suggestion for a six months
naval holiday, in answer to
a question whether the COM
mittee's investigation had
disclosed any such situation,
replied that there had been
"some testimony" on the
subject, but the committee
did not believe it should be
made public.
Congress Should Have It,
IF this information is in the
hands of the navy department" "
Senator Borah said, "the congress
should have it. We are informed
that in the archives of the navy de-
partment there is proof of the
propaganda conducted by Great
Britain. At the same time we are
told that the British ambassador
is on his way here to suggest a
| disarmament conference"
Senator Borah again. urged that
an agreement be reached between
the naval powers for reduction of
building programs and also advo-
Gated a careful investigation to
determine whether capital ships
are tactically obsolete.
"UnleSs there Is an agreement
reached between the United States
and the powers competing in naval
building" he said.s "it will lead to
war inevitably"
Opinions of American. British,
German and other naval experts
that capital ships have become OBJ
solete were presented by Senator
Borah. He read from letter by
an American rear admiral, retired,
who said:
II would stake my life that In a
few years q surface navy alone can
go nowhere but to the bottom"
The name of the officer who
wrote the letter. Senator Borah
said, would be given to the naval
committee if it desired. This Of
ficer, he added, also wrote that the
United States could never be at
tackled successfully by n power or
combination of powers from over
seas.
Defends Committee Report.
Senator Poindexter. in defending
the naval committees report sup
porting the capital ship building
program, declared that if the Unit
ed States accepted the building
postponement plan it would be
come at once a defeated nation,
would lose its insular possessions"
and it's citizens would be able to
| travel the seas only upon terms
laid down BY rival nations.
Before sitting down with these
nations at the conference table, :"
he said. "the committee feels we
should take precautions not to sit
down disarmed. If the six months
suspension were adopted we would
lose. in addition, between Sl5,OO0,-
900 and $4,000. 1000"
The senator said he would like to
know whether Great Britain would
reduce it's fleet to the present
strength of the American navy and
If Japan would actually stop naval
construction. He asserted that the
British main fleet was twice as
strong as the American and that
Japan would equal the American
strength within the next three or
four years. al4
Senator Smith,, democrat, Geor-
gia, suggested that Great Britain
Continued 90 Page Four.l