New-York tribune., 1922-08-19
Britain Rules
The w ayes Still,
Institute Hears
Two Adnirals Support
Crosby in Denial That
Empire Lost Supremacy
at Washington Farley
u. S. Loss Called Greatest
Philip Kerr Says Appeal
to German People Might
Have Averfed World War
gpcotaf pispatch to Tho Tribune

WILLIAMsToWN, Mass, Aug. 1s. -
Supported in his statements by two Ad-
mirals as we'll as the general opinion Of
those present at the conference, Oscar
T. Crosby, former Assistant Secretary
Of the Treasury, contradicted before
the Institute Of Politics to-day the
statements of George H. Blakeslee,
round table chairman, that the Wash
ington conference had overthrown
Great Britain's supremacy of the seas.
Mr.. Crosby said 1t was America who
made the great sacrifice in sea suprem-
acy at Washington and that of all pow
ers involved only America had made q
sacrifice in money. England scrapped
ships that were either on paper or OBJ
solete, while japan succeeded in keeping
the big dreadnought she was building.
Admiral Rodgers, chairman of the
General Board of the United States
Navy, supported Mr.. Crosby, say
ing it was not true that the British had
surrendered their command of the seas.
Although there were possibilities, as
shown in the war OF what America
might do at short notice, it was wrong
the equal in strength of that of Great
Britain to-day, particularly on account
of Great Britain's great merchant
marine.
Admiral Huse Agrees
Admiral Huse agreed it was America
who made the sacrifices at Washington
and in reference to speech by Pro-
fegsor Adam Shortt, Of Canada, advo-
Gated preparedness on the grounds that
the result of a war depended on the
number of country's trained men. In
the end Germany had been defeated by
the lack of trained men and if at the
beginning of the war the Allies had had
more of these the war would not have
lasted five years.
Professor Short praised the first
100000 sent into war by Great Brit
ain, but was not in favor of general
training.
Admirals Rodgers and Husc did not
accept the view that the dreadnaught
had been superseded in usefulness by
other types Of ships. Wniia regret
ting the great sacrifices America had
ington, both in the matter of sea
power and in the building of fortifi-
cations, the aimirals said these sacr
fees had been made in the hope that
within ten years the spirit of the ma
tions interested in the Pacific might
definitely turn in the direction of q
desire for peace.
Kerr Talks of Pre-War Days
Philip Kerr, Lloyd Georges former
secretary, turned again to-day toward
the situation existing in Europe be-
fore the outbreak of the great war. In
his opinion the World War might not
have happened il, Knowing what we do
now, we had gone to the German peo-
pie and explained to them the non
existence of the policy of encircle
ment. He thinks that ip that case
there would have been revolution in
Germany. Mr.. Kerr says america
First" "Rule Britannia" and "Deutsch-
land Ueber Alles' arc the modern
equivalents of Moloch, Astaroth and
other idols to which human sacrifices
were offered in antiquity. The chief
cause Of war, Mr.. Kerr said, was the
division of humanity into separate
states. Mr.. Kerr also blamed Amer
ica's withdrawal from European coun-
ellis for the breaking out OF the mar
row nationalist views which replaced
the world viewpoint furnished by
America