The Washington herald., 1921-02-10
NAVAL HOLIDAY
BILL REJECTED
BY COMMITTEE
Advises More Sea Power
Before Nation Stops
Building Ships.
AIR AND UNDERSEA
POWER APPRAISED
Senators Regard Ocean
= Forces as First Line
a of Defense.

Until the United states mas
navy second to none or an agree
ment for universal disarmament Is
reached the construction Of fighting
ships should be pushed relentlessly'
pthe Senate Naval Afrairs Commit
stee advised yesterday in its report
fejectihg the Borah resolution pro-
= posing a six months suspension Of
the building program.
Nothing has developed TO con-
vince experts that the capital ship
or. battIeship is no longer the back
bone Of the feet, the report de-
cIares. To temporarily halt their
construction, it asserts, would not
only result in the loss of between
$4,000, 900 and $25,OOO,OOO to the
government, but would weaken the
nations defense and increase the
danger Of attack.
First Defense Line.
Situated as is the United States
the report reads, with oceans sep
arating 1t from other great powers,
its first line Of defense must neCes-
sarily be its navy, and so long as IL
has a battlefield which can hold the
sea against attack its rights are
secure. In view of this Importance
of sea-poWer and the fact that
without it we would be at the
mercy Of the other nations, it is the
opinion Of the committee that this
country should maintain a navy at
least equal to that of any other
power"
The report. which was prepared
by Senator Poindexter, closes the
controversy over the allegation that
the development of the submarine
and afrplane had rendered the bat
tleship obsolete.
Discussing the relative merits OF
the capital ship and the undersea
and aircraft, the report reads:
Companion Of Merits
The vafue and Importance OF
submarines. aircraft and high eG-
pIosiveS are admitted and an inten-
sive study of their potential uses
should be continued with view OF
utilizing them to the greatest pos
sible advantage. If we assume.
however, a naval power armed with
all these devices, and with destroy
with no battleships or battle Cruis-
ers-and an enemy power equipped
with all these and with battleships
and battle cruisers in addition
there can be no doubt the power
euipped with the capital ships
would be victorious
The rival forces of light craft
whether on or below the surface
or in the air. would neutralize each
other. leaving the power which pos
sessed the heavy ships, armed with
great guns, in undisputed control OF
the seas
HnrdinE's Program.
Proportional disarmament on a
basis Of equality on the seas, as
between the United States and Great
BRITAIN will be the plan insisted
nDon by President-e elect Harding in
the international conference he will
call shortly after his inauguration
It was learned yesterday.
Harding will not demand equality
with Great Britain in so many
words. as this would be likely to
arouse objections from other gov
ernments on the ground that they
were reIegated to secondary posi-
tIons.
\ The American position, however
according to authentic information
will make it plain at the Outset
that any arrangement entered into
must be predicated on completion
OF the 1915 naval building program
Of the United States. Consistency
will require that the same stipula-
ton be extended to other nations
with programs actually under con-
struction.
This will give the United States
a great superiority over Japan and
an equality, at least, with Great
Britain in capital ships, tho Navy
Department and members Of the Ma
val Affairs Committee of Congress
state
Therefore the United States. in
the opinion of the President-elect
!. and his advisers. will be in a posi-
tfon to make or listen to any dis
y armament proposal.