Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-08-03
AR 4.

ARTICLE 4.
The great Conference on the Limi-
tation OF Armaments, which ended
with such happy results at Washing
ton, provides for American naval
strength on an equality with that of
Great Britain, Japan's in turn being
forty per cent less This Is known
popularity as the 5-5-3 naval agree
ment.
But there can be no thought OF
naval equality If that equality is to
rest on purely naval ships. A mer-
chant marine IS as much a part Of
nations navy as the capital ships OF
the navy itself The veriest layman,
if he but stop to consider, will realize
that in time of war navy requires
ships for bunkering, ships for supplies.
both OF the cargo and refrigerator
type, to an extent that no navy pos
sesses in time OF peace. In addition,
the very backbone of navy for Of
fensive warfare Is a merchant marine
of the fast cruiser and raider type.
This was exenplified during the war
by depredations committed by the
PRINCE EITEL FREDERICK, KRON-
PRINZ FREDERICK WILHELM and
MOEWE. and other fast German mer
chant ships on the merchant shipping
OF the world. 1t required wide diver
sion of British naval ships to run
down finally and drive these German
commerce raiders off the seas. Thus
in times of war fast merchant ships
divert the very best Of ships In naval
service.
Merchant Ships Essential To Navy.
When a navy is engaged in either ac-
tive warfare or a blackade at great
distance from the home base, 1t require s
an amending merchant feet OF every
type to keep 1t going-fast passenger
ships for raiding, scouting and car
riage Of airplanes; refrigerator ships
for food tankers and Golfers for
bunkering; and regular cargo ships
for other supplies.
We all too well remember, that
when President Roosevelt made the
proud gesture involved in the dispatch
of our battle feet around the world, it
had to be bunkered and supplied In
the Pacific almost entirely by foreign
flag ships. Our naval giant, while i'm
pressing the world, at the same time
proved it's feet were made Of clay.
Such shame and impotency must
never again come to America.
In addition to our naval needs, the
late war has proved that il an army
is to be transported, there must be an
unending merchant marine under our
costly realization OF this very need
that we find ourselves in possession Of
our today's Government-owned feet.
Naval Equality Threatened.
II we are to be on anything like a
naval parity with Great Britain under
the 5-5-3 program, then there is no
problem before the American people
that presses more urgently for solu-
ton than the problem of our merchant
marine. AS Secretary DENLY has said.
If all naval armament were ended by
world agreement, Great Britain would
be more powerful Oh the sea than ever
in it's history; because its vast mer>
chant marine, could be used, Ii no
other navy existed, for war purposes
as well as to meet peace needs.
In the passenger and combination
passenger-and-cargO ships, which are
the very backbone of merchant ma
rine for wartime needs, we are stfil
sadly deficient, for our war-buiit feet
includes few passenger ships. OF this
type of ships America has today Is
compared to approximately $50 belong
ing to Great Britain, Or almost Ave
times as many such vital ships in
favor Of Britain as against ourselves
When age and speed, in addition, are
considered, as considered they must
be, the ratio is even higher in favor of
Great Britain.
So that all thought must be put aside
that there is any possibility of our being
on SOB naval basis with Great Britain
unless and until we have a national policy
to insure the merchant marine which must
the true basis of relationship to the naval
actuali4es Of Great Britain. To say, with
out such merchant marine, that the
Washington conference has resulted In
naval equality between ourselves and Great
Britain, is to display an ignorance that
may be paid for later In the humiliation
of our country and at inexeusa0ie sacrifice
of life and treasure.
Merchant Vessels War Need.
Because one of the major features OF
President Harding's program Is the de-
velopment of such a merchant marine under
private American initiative he willingly en-
tered into the Washington pact With the
Washington agreement came the eaHcei1a-
ton of many naval ships building and the
ten year naval holiday. Unless an Ameri-
can merchant marine be created during
that period, the art of shipbuildin4 VIII De
largely lost to America and II war should
come again, we will End ourselves q sad
disadvantage to the maritime nations OF
the world whose shipysrds have been kspe
alive.
The legislative program proposed b. the
Administration and now before Congress
Is designed to meet at one time both tbs
naval and peace needs Of our merchant ma
-ine. La the next article ! SHAH discuss
those peace needs