The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1921-02-18
EXPERTS DISCUSS
AIRCRAFT FUTURE
War Chiefs Differ on Whether
Planes Will Render Battle
ships PoWerless.
TO ASK WORLD TO DISARM
Three Admirais at Hearing Recon-
mend Building Airplane-Carrying
Ships-WouId Speed Program.
Could Cut Navies in Halt.

round table discussion between the
great minds of the navy, including
half a dozen rear admirals, members
of the General Board Of the navy and
members of the House Committee on
Naval Affairs, the Congressional con-
ferences on disarmament were prac-
tically ended. Before the gathering
was adjourned Chairman Butler an
nounced the United States would call
an international conference to discuss
reduction in ornaments.
Mr.. Butler said later that he quoted
no authority in making the announce
ment He added that he has talked
with President-elect Harding and
'others conversant with the attitudes
of Great Britain and the other ma
tons" and that he "is confident that
a conference will be called in the near
future"
The navy chiefs all urged that in
the event this country enters upon
such an international agreement the
present building program be complet-
ed before armament construction is
suspended.
Admiral William S. Sims, comman-
der in chief of American naval opera
tions overseas during the war, who
was the first witness to testify, told
the committee that he believed Great
Britain and France would be quick to
respond to an invitation from this gov
ernment to discuss disarmament.
1.-The people ON the other side said
Admiral Sims, "feel an impelling ne
cessity to decrease the expenses to
which they heretofore have been put
in the matter of armament.
II was in intimate contact with Off
cials of foreign governments during
my stay in Europe, and conferred with
Lloyd George and other prime minis
ters, with ministers of marine and
naval chiefs and officers.
'"These things were continually dis
cussed. The common remark was that
when we get through the war we will
all be pretty stupid if we do not find
some method of getting along without
great expenditures for armaments.'
Everybody knows how much money
the British have spent on their navy,
and they don't want to go into build
ing again if they can avoid it,"
With Admiral Sims before the COM
mittee were Rear Admiral r. e.
Coontz, chief of naval operations /;
Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske, re-
tired, and Rear Admirals Henry T.
Mayo, w. L. Rodgers, r. Fl. Jackson,
A. T. Long, Charles J. Badger, chair
man of the executive committee of the
navy General Board Major General
John A. Lejeune, commandant Of the
Marine Corps, and General Mitchell,
chief of the Army Air Service. OF
these, formal statements were made
by Admirals Sims, Badger and Fiske
and General Mitchell.
In their testimony the three admir-
ais were unanimous in advocating an
international conference, but they
were dubious as to complete success.
They proposed, along slightly varying
lines, that a compromise agreement for
equalization of armament programs
might be reached
After several hours discussion Of
the possibility of universal disarma-
ment the conference branched off to
discussion of the relative merits of
the airplane and battleship. Opinion
among the navy experts was divided.
Admirals Sims and Fiske .contended
that the development of the airplane
has now reached a point which threat
ems to some extent the value of the
battleship, while Admiral Badger re-
iterated the claims for the capital
ship made a few days ago by Secre-
tary Daniels and the General Board.
The supporters of the battleship as
the basic fighting unit made a conces-
sion to their opponents in that they
joined in urging that the one greatest
need of the navy is airplane- carrying
ships.