Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1921-02-18
.Borah RaA
Armament
Generally Accepted Forecast
OF President.Elect's Naval
Program Arouses Ire of
Idaho Senator.
Will Continue His Fight
Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire.

Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire
Washington. Feb. I'm a senate
speech today generally Interpreted
as forccasting the new administra-
tons policy towards disarmament
and related issues, Senator Medill
Mccormick of llionois, just return
cd from conference with President
elect Harding, declared for "thc
completion of an American. navy,
comparable in power and varied
fighting strength with any other"
Senator Mccormick told the sen-
ate that the present agitation led by
Senator Borah OF Idaho, for an
agreement to curtail naval building,
would confuse and hamper the
president-clect in the heaviest duties
he had to perform" and would
compound the difficulty" of the
new president in securing a general
hinlitation of armament by sea and
land
These statements aroused the ire
of Senator Borah who quickly re-
piled that he would continue his ef-
iorts i'll behalf of a disarmament
agreement undeterred by prospec-
tive White House dictation. Senator
Borall was unable to see, he said,
how the program he had proposed
could possibly embarrass Mr.. Hard
ing.
Will Back Own Judgment.
Furthermore" he added, I've
have heard a vast amount of crit
icisnl in the last eight years about
waiting upon the nod from the
White House. Congress has been
accused of abdicating, not only its
judgment, but its functions. | have
not participated in that so much as
some. but let me say here with the
utmost respect for the president
elect. that | shall not abdicate my
Judgment in this chamber during
The next four years, any, more than
| have during The last eight years.
III congress of the United States
sees fit to advertise to the world
upon this question which involves
tie future welfare OF the human
family, that it has no judgment. no
opinion, no conscience, and no CON
viction until the president-elect
mods, the congress may do so, but
| shall not be party TO it."
Senator Mccormick began his
speech by summing up the argu-
n2ents made by Senator Borah in
recent speech advocating adoption OF
AS resolution for six months naval
building holiday TO give time for
study Of the question OF what con-
stitutes modern navy. As he un-
oerstood Mr.. Borah's position. he
said, it was TO have the president
invite the other naval powers to
conference on disarmament. after we
have stopped arlning, while Japan
continues to do So and while the
British sea force is twice as power
ful as the American
Cannot Agree.
i cannot agree with him. said
Senator Mccormick. Il cannot agree
that our shipwrisnts and gunsmiths
SiAoaiN acN IlICjI lOOlS NllllG
Japan arms herself. / cannot agree
that the limitation Of armahlents
should be fixed on basis of Brit
ish sea power more dominant than
ever in modern history"
The Illinois senator contended that
Senator Borah's arguments were
based largely upon the opinions OF
British navy authorities whom he
sarcastlcally referred to as literary
admirals." He insisted that the CAPT
tai ship was not obsolete and de-
clared that this opinion was held
by the officers who were at sea and
took part III the lighting during the
war. He added; 1T is not merely
iulstagen-it is sheer nonsense-to
say that British naval policy is not
profoundly influenced by trade de
preston, by unemployment, by the
rate of exchange, by the indebted
ness to America and by the heavy
drain upon the, British excheuucr."