Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-22
ReUOLt on Tariff
Measure Arises
Continued from Pake One

Continued from Page One
sure upon the legislative branch. but as
yet there is no sign Of such pressure.
The schedules nre still n question for
the experts Of the Ways and Means
Committee.
Disarmament seems also to have
reached the expert stage. There is no
other way to account for the lack OF
progress toward cutting the expenses
of naval competition among the great
powers. Everybody Is for an agree
ment to limit naval building publicly
and privately. This Government ana
that of Great Britain and japan have
given assurances of their cngerncss to
90 operate. and there the thing stops.
AS in everything there is no diff.
Guilty about the general principle. Naval
expenditures must be limited. But
how limited? There Is the rub. 1t is
the intention Of this Government to
have some definite policy when 1t enters
into a disarmament conference and not
merely some policy of it's own, but to
have reached an understanding with at
least Great Britain and Japan upon
the chief details Of that policy,
War Experts Differ
What follows is not picture of what
Is going on in this Administration par
ticulnrly. IL is doubtless true OF the
Governments Of Great Britain and
Japan as well. When you have n gen
cral policy of limiting armaments In
mind. then you call in your naval eX-
perts to ask for details.
There is where the trouble begins.
The big ship advocate cXclaims: Our
navy is deficient in battle cruisers. The
lesson of the war is that battle cruisers
n hn La ort pf
We must have so much money during
the next half dozen years in order to
have well rounded navy
The aircraft advocate says: "lhe
war of the future is largely war III the
mir. With the development of flying
the battlcship will be nj the mercy OF
the navy that has the most effective air
force. Both for defense and offcnsc a
great number of fast aircraft carriers
is needed. Our navy is deficient in air
craft. They are highly expensive. We
must have so much money for aircraft
carriers" And SO it goes, probably not
merely in Washington. but in London
and in Toxic Every expert. MS in
tariff making, has his pet schedule and
there is no one to say him nay.
In a word. the formula is hard TO
reach. Even If you could get your ex-
pert advisers to agree upon the amount
of money that they need to round out
and keep up the navy there still remains
the question of exchange. How relate
the dollar, the pound and the yen, the
cost Of labor and materials in the United
States, Japan and England.
Related to Anglo. Japanese Pact
Then there is the question of the
Ang Japanese alliance. In some way
not disclosed disarmament is related to
the question now before the British I'm
pcrial conference whether Great Britain
nnd Japan are to renew in any form
their old compact.
The State Department evidently feels
deeply about this alliance. There was a
sharp and almost angry denial today by
the department of the Associated Press
dispatch from Washington that this
Government had been notified of the
intention of Great Britain to re- engage
herself with Japan.
The dispatch which was denied said
that the State Department was being
kept fully informed by Great Britain of
its intention to renew the alliance with
Japan and Of the notifications 1t was
proposed to make in it. The implica
ton was that the State Department was
| agreeable to the renewal of the alliance
with the changes indicated.
1t brought forth such u prompt and
sharp republication as to leave little
doubt that this Government opposes the
| renewal of the alliance.
Apparently the compact traverSes our
policy in the Far Fast and in that way
bears upon the possibility Of limiting
the development of the navy.
On all sides the President is com =
passed by difficulties in bringing about
prompt action for the reduction of ex
| pcnditures and taxation. The difficul =
| ties are presented by diplomacy. by an
undisciplincd party, by the disagree
ment of experts. Public impaticncc is
having its effect upon nerves anL
tcmpcrs down here. But the difficulties
are more or less inevitable The Pres
! idCnt is not TO blame for them. LiUu
| dating the results of great war is 6
slow and hard task.