The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-04-15
Final Decision Must Lie With
Congress Which Will Come
Up for Vote Today.
FRIENDS OF "BIG NAVY"
HOPE TO DELAY ACTION
Many Attacks on Accuracy of
Figures Supplied by the
Intelligence Bureau.
tsy The Associates Pross)

WASHINGTON, April 14.-President
Harding. in his first public utterance
on the 1928 naval bill, declared in a
letter presented today to the house
that while the decision must lie with
congress he would be greatly disap-
pointed as he believed the country
would be, If the enlisted force was
cut below $4,000.
The opinion was not sent gratui-
tously. It was given in response to a
request for the presidents view by
Representative Longworth, republican,
Ohio, one of the leaders in the fight to
defeat the proposal in the bill limiting
the force to $1,000. There had been
unofficial statements to the effect that
the president offered drastic reduc-
ton in the personnel and that he stood
for the figure proposed in the Near
thur amendment.
In presenting the letter toward the
close Of an all-day debate, Mr.. Long
worth said he was glad to accept the
challenge from friends of the measure
as framed to find out what the presi
dent wanted and to let the house
know. ........ s.,ss 1>
The presidents Ietter, bearing the
date Of today, follows:
Mr.. Dear Congressman Longworth:
81 have to acknowledge your letter
OF inquiry addressed to me on the
tenth instant. If I were to address
the congress formally could say only
what ! have already said informally
because I am well persuaded that it is
not wise to make so drastic a cut in
the naval appropriations as has been
proposed in the measure now pending
In the house.
II do not doubt the good faith of the
committee majority in believing a
suitable navy can be maintained under
the limitations fixed in the pending
bill, and l am heartily in accord with
every consistent effort to deepen the
cut in government expenditures.
AT the same time L must believe
In the good faith Of the navy depart
men and our naval advisers who said
very emphatically that it Is impossible
TO maintain within the proposed ap-
preparations the standard set for our
navy which was made the base OF the
international conference and which
standard we have proclaimed to the
world
ot course, the decision must lie
with congress, but 1 should not be
frank in replying to your inquiry If I
G.u not say that I shall be greatly
disappointed, and l believe the coun-
Ivy VIII be greatly disappointed If the
appropriation to which the navy must
ana VIII adhere, Is reduced to the
po'nl where the limitation OF enlisted
men and apprentices is below $4,000.
NO presentation of the situation, which
mas come to my notice, has served to-
alter that opinion.
utimately, perhaps, the lower fig
S'eS proposed may be reached and I
"oPe II VIII be possible through later
..UeFhational concert, but the trend
'o"aIu peace and security ought to
We more firmly established before go
ing beyond the limitation TO which we
,, were gladly committed at the interna-
uohal conference.
Very truly yours,
WARREN G.. HARDING"
me vote on the enlisted provision
,svuon will come tomorrow, on the
.,S, @ OF the battle both sides tonight
~" ," we're claiming victory.
everything is fine and the bill as
aa"'en Will pass" said Chairman Kel-
~, s,, VINO Is in charge of the measure
, we Will win, unless too many of
s,', % supporters leave town for Easter
o." ,1 representative Macarthur Of Ore
o oo" republican member of the naval
nr.''aI, r.''.l''ee, ready with an amendment
Nv yy,S''uins for $4,000 men the moment
section is reached.
Vi, friends Of the ''big navy" had
n~. o'.""ea early today to force the fight
v.m until next week, but Chairman
wy Wy resisted all attempts to delay.
4. "e" the measure was called up to-
bs.''a 'eaa Item by item, the clerk had
.oy TUNED page when the fight
T. leu on the enlisted question and
II. 'ased sed increasingly until night. In
o. en- 'nd The house, worn out by hours
d,.saN @.N quit nine pages ahead OF the
'|Gpu'ed provisions.
On. "' amendment was accepted and
o5, was voted down. There was no
uy. u,r.oh ~ to the first. by Representa-
'oWnerr republican, Iowa, for an
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