Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-04-21

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having but three-fifths the strength
of the American Navy. will be able
to maintain 100000 tons in commits
sion-to all interests and purposes a
navy quite the equal OF the Ameri-
can strength. D.
The argument of the proponents of
the smaller personnel hat destroy
ers are not vitality needed is an
swered by the naval experts with the
fact that the United States is prac-
tically without any light cruisers.
Other naval powers do not suffer
from this lack. In the event of trou-
BILE, the United States must depend
upon it's destroyers to function as
light cruisers as well. They must
be scouts for the feet. carry on the
service of information. develop the
enemy attack and screen the fleet.
Until light cruisers are completed
and in commission. fully manned,
the Navy Department experts claim
it is entirely improper even to dis
russ a reduction in the number of
d~estroyers which must kept in full
readiness always.
Theodore Roosevelt, assistant Sec
rotary of the navy, contends that the
Naval Reserve cannot be main
tanned and built up under the bill
now in congress. The possibility of
manning eagle boats and submarine
J chasers is eliminated by the measure
he says and this cuts off a very i'm
p%ortant adjunct of the Navy.
Naval Reserves Important
"Wnen the emergency arises and
the fleet has to be expanded quickly,
a trained Naval Reserve cuts months
from the time necessary &c put Il
fleet on a war footing" say Col.
Roosevelt. Furthermore, we pride
ourselves justifiably on the fact that
in all times of national need. u
young civilians rally TO the colors.
If they are to do so efficiently, if
they are 20 have "a show for their
white alley we must give them an
opportunity for training. We can
not do this under the present bill"
Col. Roosevelt calls the establish
ment under the proposed personnel
a lame duck" Navy. By the bill,
pride. safety. and influence of this
nation are put in serious jeopardy,
he believes.
The naval situation is viewed as
more serious than it appears TO be
on the surface. The things the De-
partment wants included in the bill
are not things that can readily be
created in time of trouble. Just as
a National Army" of trained civil
ians, such as was proposed by Lind
ley NJ. Garrison when he was secre-
tary of war, undoubtedly would have
met the need for trained men and
officers-particularly the latter-in
the World War. so a trained Naval
Reserve would be of inestimable
value should var come again.
1t is a generally admitted fact that
a faw hnnGra6 thnnCan nd man with
basic military training would have
meant putting American troops into
the trenches in France months oon
err than was the case, where men
had tn be drilled and made soldiers
from the ground up" in the many
training camps throughout the coun-
try. The fresh troops from this
country in large numbers sent across
at an earlier date would nave meant
terminating the fighting considera-
bly, sooner, according to military
experts.
In the event of naval warfare. the
need is even more pressing for a per-
sonnet trained in advance. One of
the main reasons for this is the fact
that the ships for training new men
would be engaged in fighting, and
the men would have to be trained
in their duties on shore as best they
could be trained under this handi-
cap.
Politics Concerned
However. the majority of the
members of congress are facing
tights for their seats in the elections
this fall. With the country demand
ing economy and prosperity. it is but
natural that the personal situations
of the men who must vote for and
against the naval appropriation bill
must be taken into consideration.
There is a feeling here hat the
country ar large is sick of war and
of preparations for war. and that IL
is a poor time TO try to arouse in
terest in the future protection of
the country. The average citizen
laughs at the idea of any kind of
trouble in the ear future. and sees
no war clouds on the distant hori-
zon. He feels that money spent for
military and naval purposes now,
when the nations of the world pre-
sumably are too poo to wage war,
IS like throwing il out of the win
dow. The undeniable fact is that in
the past expensive naval ornaments