The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-12-09
BY PHILIP FRANCIS.

IneTo are many TamlIlcatlOn0 Oh
the cunning foreign diplomacy now
busy here at Washington.
But they all burrow underground
In one direction, and with one OBJ
ject, which is to cripple our often
sive and defensive sea power and
then strange our merchant marine
and our competition in the world
markets.
The first thing to be done Is TO
minimize our naval strength. Un-
der the false pretense Of = new
born love for humanity. and for
America In particular. our people
are to be persuaded that a powerful
American navy Is an unnecessary
expense and an obstacle to permar
nent peace.
The sensible doctrine that we
fronts two fleets, each equal to any
foreign fleet in either ocean, Is
viewed with pretended horror by
our British and Japanese friends"
More particularly are the British
Mortified at such suggestion,
though the maintenance of q British
navy equal to the navies of any
other two powers has been the pro.
claimed policy of England for gener-
ations, and was never abandoned
until the amazing increase OF our
national wealth and our suddenly
awakened interest in our own sea,
rights and sea commerce stimulated
us to the construction of a navy
which England was no longer rich
enough to equal, let alone surpass.
Coalition Instigated.
The coalition which destroyed
Germany was secretly instigated
and secretly assured of England's
active support, because German
naval competition was seriously
threatening England's ability to
maintain her two-power naval stand.
ard. And the irony of fate decreed
that In Turing America into her war
upon Germany's naval and mer-
chant marine competition, England
should raise up another naval anc
merchant marine competition twice
as formidable as Germany and abso.
lutely beyond England's financial
power to meet on equal terms.
How to reduce this new-found
naval and commercial strength of
America is the problem which
English diplomacy has to solve-if
IL can. And every move that Eng
fish diplomacy makes at Washing
ton is part of the effort to solve that
problem to England's advantage
and Americas injury.
This In the key to the proposal to
limit our Atlantic and Pacific navies
each to one-half the strength OF
Englands Atlantic navy, under the
specious false pretense Of actual
equality Of naval power.
This ID the key to tho proposal
that we Join In abolishing seagoing
submarines. under the spec.ous
false pretense that IL is more in
humane to sink ships and crews
with torpedoes than 1t is to starve
women and children by hunger
blockade or to bomb crowded cities
with explosives and poison gas from
the skies. - -,es .ess.
Key To Proposal
This is the key TO the proposal. to
which President Harding has fallen
a victim, that we repeal the laws
preparing preferential rates and
tonnaRe-taxes for cargoes carried In
American ships. under the false
pretense that this Ii unfriendly dis
elimination against the subsidi sed
merchant marines Of England and
Japan.
This is the key to the insoIent
and vicious demand that we leave
our outposts and naval bases in the
Pacific unfortified and defenseless.
on the false pretense that such
necessary precautions would BE-
menace to japan.
use the words "insolent and
vicious demand deliberately and
with all possible emphasis. The
demand IS insolent. The demand
IS vicious.
The strength Of a navy in war is
not a matter Of number Of ships or
weight Of fire.
It 10 wholly a matter Of what
number Of ships and what weight
Of fire can be applied at the points
Of contact.
Measured by this supreme test
our navy would be hopelessly out
classed in the far Pacific waters,
where II would have to seek the
Japanese fleet, because II could not
possibly voyage to and cruise in
those waters without any base Of
supplies or repairs nearer than
the Hawaiian Islands, 4,767 miles
away.
Plan Is Well Known.
The Japanese strategic plan Is
well known. 1t is openly taught
in their officers military school.
1t is to suddenly descend upon and
capture the Philippines, Guam, and
the Aleutian Island chain, and
then await the American attack,
ot Nd hn
American coast, and neatly 5000
miles from the only fortified Ameri-