The New York herald., 1922-04-11

ting as a committee OF the whole with
twelve hours allotted for debate.
Department Starts Campaign.
The opening OF the House debate also
was the signal for vigorous campaign
begun by the Navy Department for
treaty navy with a personnel suffi-
cient to keep the navy on par with
that of Great Britain.
Theodore Roosevelt. Assistant Secre-
tary of the Navy. started the fight with
an address tonight at the National
Fress Club, in which he declared the
House bill gives to the American people
Tame duck navy
Edwin Denby Secretary OF the Navy.
who attended the meeting, indorsed the
Roosevelt statements.
The. Navy Departments estimates that
$4,000 enlisted men are necessary prop
erly to man the American fleets were
r.diculed by little navy" members of
the House, who attempted to show that
when the navy had only between $4,000
and $4,000 men, before the war. there
were more men on sea duty than at
present They directed their assault on
the Navy Departments declaration that
one man is required for duty ashore
for every two on duty afloat. winding
Up with the declaration that the United
States should set the example to the
world in limiting arrnaments. Repre-
sentative Mondell asserted that the pur-
pose OF the bill was to carry out the
sentiment OF the people expressed in
their approval of the work of the arma-
rient conference, which promised curtail-
r.ent of navies.
In opposition to this the "big navy"
members, dropping the Recommendation
OF the Navy Department for $4,000 en-
listed men and centering upon the minor
ity report for $500, declared that with
out this number the 5-5-3 ratio estab-
hshed at the conference would be de-
stroyed. A reduction of personnel to
$1,000, they said, would put the United
States In third rank as a naval Power
requiring the abandoning of not fewer
than five Of the eighteen battleships
provided for the United States under
the terms of the treaty.
Kelley Leads Fight.
Representa- Ave Kelley assumed the
leadership of the fight for the Appro-
priations Committee bill. insisting that
the statements about what Great Brit
full works Of fiction that have fallen
within my observation within many a
day." The fact is. he declared, that
Great Britain is to have 5000 enlisted
men in her navy and that, taking into
consideration every branch of Ameri-
can naval service, the United States
is to have almost the same thing"
I'VE had in our navy In 1916 eleven
of the same ships that we are going to
30 tot tv1n l2A 49, all
said. mot only that, but we had
twenty-five additional battleships at
the time. In 1916 with only $1,000 men
or thereabouts. all told. in the person
mel of our navy, we had a total on our
battleships Of 1857 men, and the Navy
Department to-day. with $1,000 men, has
only 1880 on the battleships.'
Representative Tinkham reminded
Mr.. Kelley that the latest reports show
that Japan is preparing to retain 6s,252
men for the Japanese navy.
"Oh, don't let people fool you about
what Japan has announced" Mr..
Kelley shouted. There Is no officer
in the American navy who is able to
point out any positive information
about the intentions of Japan.
when this Congress gets through
with this appropriation bill there will
be no intelligent man who follows pub
llC afIalrS In any nation III the WoTlu
who will not be able to tell you ap-
proximately what ,hc United States Is
deciding to do i'll the war of armies
and navies. And let me say to you
that I hope that what we decide to do
will be an inspiration and at least one
ray of hope to all mankind"
Attack by Mondcll.'
Representative Mondell started off in
defense of the bill by attacking the
minority report because 1t attempted
to quote the President.
II would suggest" he said. 'if I may
without giving offense, that they stick
in the future to the time honorad c,,stom
of giving their own viev0 ...steau o -
alleged views of some one else"
Il would suggest" snapped Mr.. Ware,
that the gentleman from Wyoming
stick to such practices himself"
"One would suppose from some of the
very remarkable statements that have
been made solemnly and almost hyster-
ically in high quarters that all is lost.
even honor" Mr.. Mondell said. The
claim Is made that this bill only gives
us a 21a-5-3 navy. If this is true then
it is now a question of just a few thou
sand additional men. Instead of the
$1,000 we should double that figure to
$4,000. The figure demanded by those
who make this claim would give them
only 2ss or a rs navy. They are
curiously illogical"