Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-02-05
Word Of Chairman Butler Of House
Naval Committee Await Inauguration
Harding to Issue Navy Officers
Differ on Trend Future Warfare

testimony of a large number of wit
nesses that calling of an international
conference to discuss disarmament
would meet with general approval, the
House naval committee today called
before it ten high officers of the navy
and one of the army and heard a vast
amount of divergent and confusing
testimony as to whether aircraft had
made capital naval vessels useless.
Before the committee settled down
to listen ito the officers however,
Chairman Butler announced positively
that. an International disarmament
conference would be Called by this
country. He did not say when the call
would go out, but it was assumed
from his line of questioning that it
would be shortly after President-elect
Harding. with whom Mr.. Butler re-
Gently conferred, takes Office.
Rear Admiral William s. Sims. war
time commander of all American ma
val forces in European waters and
present head Of the Naval War Col
lege, the first witness called, coun-
selled against immediate abandon
ment Of the capital ship. He added,
however. that If aerial forces demon
strated the value he expected them
to, in the near. future, they would
soon make major surface craft use
less. He opposed disseminating work
on the great 1926 naval building pro-
gram and declared nobody is going
to take his hand off his gun" until
conditions become settled in Europe.
The superiority of the battleship
over the airplane or the submarine.
was defended by Rear Admiral
Charles J. Badger, head Of the Cen
eral Board and former commander OF
the Atlantic Fleet. who declared that
battleships and battle cruisers would
remain the backbone of fleet for
years to come. He did not believe, he
said. that anything very definite
would come out Of the proposed dis
armament conference, but said 1t was
worthwhile effort.
Still another view was presented by
Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske. retir-
ed, former member of tho general
board and inventor ofthe torpedo plane.
who told the committee that aerial
| dreadnoughts would be the capital
ships of the future.
Brig. Gen. William Mitchell, chief
of training and operations Of the army
air service. called to the stand told
the committee that 1t was simple
matter for air forces to hit and de-
stroy battleship, and repeated his
! testimony Of last week before the
appropriations committee to the effect
that aerial developments had made
surface navies obsolete. General
Mitchell cleared up one point that had
| been causing the committee some won
| derment all day when he declared
| that data supposed by navy officials to
be secret, but disclosed by him before
a Senate committee, had been secured
by army officers who attended the
bombing of the old battleship Indiana
at the invitation of Secretary Daniels.
General Mitchell was on the stand
when the session concluded and will
SohehuS MS tSSIAihoHy eofAofFoW.
| All the naval officers who testified
stressed the necessity for the immedi-
ate construction Of high speed air
| plane carrying ships. While the
| House committee heard this testimony,
the Senate naval subcommittee draft
ed an adverse report on the resolution
presented by Senator Borah. ..Republl-
| can. Idaho. providing for a six months
suspension Of naval building while
experts studied the best types Of
| ships.