The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1922-04-27
PUT NAVY BELOW
THE TREATY RATIO
cONGRESSMEN SEEM BOUND TO
REDUCE IT so FAR THAT IT
WILL BE USELESS.
CALLED wAs7Etyl ECONOMY
Experts Protest Against This Course,
While Administration Officials OBJ
ject to Attempt Of the Legislators to
Fix a Governmental Policy.
By EDWARD 3. CLARK

BY EDWARD B. CLARK
Westinghouse seemingly is the in
tention of congress so to tx matters
by legislation that the United States
navy, so far as size and efficiency are
concerned, Is to fall below the place
assigned to it in the treaty which re-
suited from the recent international
conference.
1t will be remembered that the ratio
of the three greatest fleets of the
world was fixed at 5-5-3. The United
States is one of the SIS. The Navy de.
partment seems to be convinced that
the law makers before they get
through with it will so fix things
that the sea forces of Uncle Sam
shall fall in equipment, person
mel and in general strength far
below the treaty authorization. This
the department says is called economy.
The sailor experts say that it Is waste.
Curious things are happening in con-
gress today. The house appropriation
committee is attempting to fix policy
for the government in contradiction to
the plan outlined by those whose duty
it is to recommend policies and then
to ask that the proper appropriation
of money be made to carry them out.
So far as can be determined It seems
to be the intention Of the appropria'
lions committee to recommend only
enough money for a navy whose enlist
ed strength shall be limited to $4,000
men. 1t is said that such navy will
be wholly inefficient. Service men say
that an inefficient navy Is worse than
no navy, and they are telling this
to congress. It Is said with due
elaboration by some administration
officials that the government just as
we'll might retire from the seas as
to keep afloat a fleet inadequate fol
any purpose Of offense, defense or
proper training.
Harding Opposes WastefuI Economy
The President is opposed to what
service men cali the folly Of spending
money on useless thing. Apparently
the administration believes that II
few additional millions will make
Uncle Sans navy strong within its lim'
itations of size, the additional millions
will be we'll spent. Notice virtually
has been given that the President Is
willing to serve the ends Of economy,
but notice has been given with It that
there is such a thing as wasteful econ.
omy.
The committee on naval affairs Of
the house Of representatives has rec
commended a cut in the naval personnel
to about $4,000 men. It seems that
the house appropriations committee Is
willing to recommend to the legisla-
tors that only enough money shall be
appropriated to pay 10000 men. 1t is
by this declaration Of the amount that
It is willing to recommend for expend.
iture on the navy that the approprla-
tons committee Is attempting, as It Is
declared here, to fix a governmental
policy which It Is the duty Of the Navy
department and Of the committees on
naval affairs to fix. =
It Is believed that If the plan Of the
| appropriations committee carries, and
the fleets Of the United States shall
be reduced to sQuadrons Of no par.
ticular strategic value, such ships as
Uncle Sam has must be concentrated
in the waters off one coast or the
other In order to maintain even an
appearance Of being serviceable.
Cannot Protect Both Coasts.
Service men say the situation is just
as 1t would be II It were possible that
the United States one day was to be
attacked from the north and from thu
south simultaneously by two hostile
forces, and there were only soldiers
enough to make some kind Of a dem
onstration against one Of the invading
armies. It would be necessary to leave
one frontier exposed.
The administration seems to b,
alarmed today over this matter chief!
because Of the seeming determination
Of the men who hold the money bag!
to. ignore the executive department!
and to attempt to frame their own pol
icies for the protection Of the country
and to pay no heed to the recon
mendations Of men who have mad
such matters their LIES study.
Officers Have Psychasthenia.
There Is evidence Of great in
terest throughout the country Il
the reports Of the surgeon general
office concerning the results of tn,
physical examinations which regula
army officers are now undergoing.
Is said that many cases have bee1
found which, taken together, SHOW
that a strange war-strain ailment |
affecting some Of the officer veterans
Medical experts call 1t "psychas
thenia."
There Is something almost mysti
about this trouble which Is affectin
some Of the men who saw service Il
the war. OF course today it Is no
possible to bring all the men who say
service to the examination room, an
so the results Of the investigation
which are being made can come onl
from the comparatively few regula
officers who have been ordered befor
examining boards to see If their col