Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1922-08-03
ARTICLE q.

An ubSeG Vs
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 $50 naval agree.
ment.
But there can be no thought of
naval equality II that equality is to
rest on purely naval ships. A mer-
chant marine. is rs much part of q
nations navy as the capital ships of
the navy itself. The veriest layman,
II he but stop to consider, will realize
that in time Of war q 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 exemplihed during the war
by depredations committed by the
PRINCE EITyL 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 OF the seas. Thus
In Zines Of war fast merchant ships
divert the very best Of ships in naval
service.
=, Merchant Ships Essential To Navy.
When navy 10 engaged In either &C
tive warfare or a blackade at great
distance from the home base. It requires
an unending merchant deet Of every
type to keep 1t going-fast passenger
ships for raidins, scouting and car
riage Of airplanes; refrigerator ships
for food; tanksrs and golfers for
bunkering; and regular cargo ships
for other supplies.
We ell too veil remember, that
when President Roosevelt made the
proud gesture involved in the dispatch
OF our battle feet around the world, 1t
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 Its feat 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
ts to be transported, there must be an
intending merchant marine under our
nag. It Is through the all too late and
costly realization Of this very need
that We ind ourselves in possession Of
our todayb Goyernment-owned feet
kavai Equality Threatened.
II We are 70 be on anything like q
naval parity with Great Britain under
the 6@-3 program, then there is no
problem before the American people
that presses more urgently for soiu-
ton than the problem Of our merchant
marine. AS Secretary DENLY has said,
II all naval armament were ended by
world agreement, Great Britain would
be more powerful on the sea than ever
in Its history; because its vast mer.
chant marine, could b used, II no
other navy existed, for war purposes
as wei g to meet peace needs.
In the passenger and combination
passenser.and-carso ships, which are
the very backbone Of q merchant ma
rine flor wartime needs, we are still
sadly deficient, for our war-built 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 i've
times as many sucA 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 10 any possibility Of our being
on sos naval basis with Great Britain
unless and until We have national policy
to insure the merchant marine which must
be added to- the total Of our navy to ind
the true basis Of relationship to the naval
actualities Of Great Britain. To say, with
out such a merchant marine, that the
Washington conference has resulted In
naval equality between ourselves and Great
Britain, is to display An ignorance that