Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-02-12
BRITISH AIM 70
CURB US. NAVY
Borah Makes Charge In Sen
ate During Debate on
Disarmament
TESTIMONY WITHHELD
Idaho Senator Predicts Competitive
n Building Will Lead to War--Advo-t1
cate Safety First.

Washington, FEB. 12.-The state
mcnt that he had received sucges.
tions that Great Br..ttain Yves "circu.
lating propaganda" IL this country te
deter American naval building was
made in the Senate yesterdy by Sen.
ator Borah, Republican. Idaho, during
q general debate, on disarmament
He understood, he said, that the
facts were iii possession of the Navy
Department.
Senator Poindexsei, Republican
Washington. author af the Senate
Naval Committees recent adverse re-
port on Senator Bo-sh's suggestion
for six months naval holiday, in
answer to a question whether the COM
mittee's investigation had disclosed
any such sitaation, ren;ied that there
had been "so.ne testimony" on the
subject, but the committee did not be-
lieve it shonll be made public.
's1f this information is in the hands
of the Navy Department" Senator
Borah said, 'the Congress should
have it. We are Informed that in
the archives of the Navy Department
there is proof of tAe propaganda con-
d,ctei BIZ Great Britain. At the
same time W.. are told that the Brit
ish AinbassaAcr is 0. bis way here to
suggest a disarmament conference .
He also predicted that war between
the United States with either Japan
CT Great Britain %,oald result with
in the next few years if competitive
navy building contisues. II I,
Senator Borah again urged that an
agreement BE- reached between the
naval powers tor reduction Of build
irg programs and "lso advocated a
csreful investigation t, determine
~bethsr capital ships are tactiral!s. tao ,e'l
{ tbsolese, =
Op:nfons q. American, British,
German -and other n.ul, experts that
capital ships have become obsolete
were presented by Sei ator Borah:. lie
reid from "a letter by an American
Rear Admiral, retired who said: :.
81 would stake my Efe that in a
fe-x years a :pfaee ravy alone can
so nowhere, b1t to 'bc bottom I.
Senator Poiatlextes, in defending
the Naval Committees report sup
porting tie capital shpbuilding pro
gram, declared tha: if the Unite!
States accepted the building post
ponemen plan it w,rla become at
once defeated nat;ca. would lose its
insuhr possessions and its citizens
would be able 10 travel the seas only
upon terms icid down by rival ma
tons
before sitting dow with these na-
items at the conference table" he
sid. "the committeo feels we should
take precautiors no. to sit down DIS
armed. II the six-nanth suspension
we're adopted we would lose. N add
ton between fifSca7 million and
twenty-five million dollars"
The Senator said DC would like TO
know whether Grea- britain would
reduce It's fleet to present strength
the American Navy ard # Japan
would actually stop naval construction
He asserted that the British main
fleet was twice rs strong as the
american and that Japan would
ccual the American strength within
the next three or four years.
The Naval Appropriation. bin ran
through hostile waters in the House
yesterday, prt at the end was still
a'toat.,
Shot at from all sides. it almost
went down e. times as members at
tempted to riddle some Of the proviS-
ions CT .he s.,95.0o9.NO measure. One
section. on the poinp of going out
was saved Nv Cha;rn,ar Butler, q
the Naval Affairs COMMITTEE, ~At
went to the front ard rescued it.
Opposition to tho bt: cropped or
as result OF tho general dissatisfac
ton with ths new method Of framing
appropriation legislation. Heretofore
the naval bill! has been drafted b,
the Naval Committee, but under 50
called bulge. system that committee
ho!ds its hands while . sshconrmitte
on appropriations does the work.