The New York herald., 1922-04-16
ATTACK ON us. NAVY
ISLAID TO POLITICS
Efforts to Cut Service At
tributed to Fear Of Losing
Congress Seats.
BIG WASTE IN POLICY
Representative Madden and
Kelley Accused of Subordi-
mating National.Needs.

ny eraser sHORNsTHEIMER.
Special Dispatch to THE New YoRK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. C., April is.
The Administration in power has an
nounced it's policy in regard to the navy.
1t is that the service be built up mate
rally under the naval treaty and that a
slight reduction in the necessary naval
personnel shall take place. 1t must be
admitted that around $4,000 men are
necessary completely to man the fleet
which we are to retain. The Admins
tration intends to reduce the figure to
$4,000 to prove Americas sincerity in
'the matter of iEdividuai reduction Of
armaments and to establish a good ex-
ample for the rest of the world
Strange as 1t may seem, Democrats in
Congress are adhering IL this Admins
tration policy far better than are the
rank and file of the Republicans. who
are quaking in terror because of the
possibilities of not being returned to III.
legislative body. So they are fighting
the established policy CT not only the
Administration in power but the estab-
lished policy of the nation as whole.
the policy handed down to us by every
President since Washington: that we
must have navy equal to the strongest.
The people Of the United States spend
annually about $4,000, 100000. Taking
S400, 900. 900 as proper expenditure to
maintain our navy, which is twice the
amount Representatives Kelley and
Madden would give us. we would pend
$12,500 for other purposes to every single
dollar we spend on the navy. Double
this statement if Kelley and mis- friends
are successful with their bonus plans.
Chewing Gum Versus Navy.
Our 1921 figures indicate thac we
spend yearly on soda water and ccnfec-
tions nearly three times the amount
necessary properly to maintain the navy.
Enough Is spent on che wing gum alone
to support the navy for year. 1t is
contended that our national Government
spends much for its navy and little for
education. Any one with common sense
knows that it is not the function Of our
national Government to spend money for
education and that the cites and States,
to whom this duty is charged, spend
more than twenty times ac much for ed
ucation as the national Government
spends on the navy. And we should re-
member that the national Government is
the only agency responsible for the COM
mon defense.
Many times has the writer contended
that the savings involved by the arma-
ment conference are future savings. The
figures proving these assertions are now
available. If you paid an income tax OF
800 this year the sc.apping of our
capital ships will enable you to deduct
on that account just 40 cents next year.
But the bonus and rivers and harbors
bill may cause you to add another $25
to it. II things 60 as they should your
income tax will be just $1,000
New York citv alone pays an annual
tax of S613.0Oo.0O0 and has a debt of
more than billion. holiday Of ten
years in battleshp builling will reduce
taxes in New York from 500 to $99.3S.
But as the bulk of the Federal revenue
is derived from income taxes the farmer
and laborer will hardly feel it.
We need economy and no effort ssould
be spared to enforce economies in Gov
ernment expenditures, but the navy has
already gone tn. limit in this respect.
Our whole fleet Is practically immobi-
iized to save fuel.
Question of Example.
Examples in the reduction of arma-
ments never have been put across"
Does any one imagine that had France
disarmed in 1913 Germany would have
followed her splendid example? To-day
pacifsts tell us that If we lead in dis
armament by example other nations will
surely follow. Trey are wrong. and they
know they are wrong.
Already they have given the world ali
example in disarmament. Our army is
practically nothing. reduced by Congress
to fraction or its necessary strength.
Cur Rhine forces hardly sxist We have
not half enough men in our overseas
garrisons or our coastal Notifications.
Our service is but a small fraction of
the armies of foreign Powers. Have
they followed our example? France has
Ss4.000 men, Great Britain has $4,000.
Italy and japan 100000 each. Czecho-
slovalSia 215,000, Belgium 10000. and
even Rumania. with 10000. will have
at least 10000 more than Congress pro-
poses to give the entire United States
with all its dependencies.
The only principle that has ever
scrapped a gun or a ship Is the principle
of limitation Of armaments by interna-
tional agreement. Therefore must we
not maintain the force established for us
by the conference?
But Kelley, Madden and others say
no. They say that navy less pswer-
full than the Japanese and hardly more
powerful than the Frenca is entirely suf-
fcient for this great nation.
Secretary Hughes does not think 50
judging from his work a. the conference.
which has the entire support OF the
present Administration. He says. as has
every President of the United States.
that our navy must be equal to the most
powerful and 40 per cent. more powerful
than that OF the nation nearest 20 us
from below.
Fight Against the Mutsu.
Every one remembers how Mr..
Hughes, Senator Lodge. Senator Under
wood and Mr.. Root fought the retention
of the great battleship Mutsu by Japan.
They were unsuccessful in keeping the
vessel out OF the lists and so they OBJ
iained compromise which means that
we may complete two vessels OF the
West Virginia class. The Japanese nov
have two vessels Of the Mutsu type. the
Negato and Mutsu. They displace
$4,000 tons. as against $4,000 tons for
the two vessels of the West Virginia
type. and have speed Of twenty-four
knots, as against twenty-one knots for
the two West virginias.
While all four ships carry eight six
teen inch guns, the Japanese guns fire
heavier projectiles and consequently
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