Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-04-21
SAFETY FIRST,
HARDINC'S IDEA
President Would Keep the u.
S. Navy Above $4,000
Mark.
PUTS IT UP TO CONGRESS-
Letter Addressed to Members of
House States Executives Idea of
Minimum of Force-Wonan
Members Against Cut.

Washington, April II President
Harding III a letter read to the house
urged that the naval bill provide for
a more adequate enlisted force than
$1,000 as fixed by the appropriations
committee.
While the decision must lie with con-
gress, the President said he could only
repeat formally what he had said in
formally, that he was persuaded It
would not be wise to make so drastic
cut as proposed in the house
bill.
The President while mot doubling
the good faith of the committee
majority" said he must believe in the
good faith of the navy and naval adj
visers who declared very emphatically
it was impossible to maintain within
the proposed appropriation the stand
ard set for the navy at the conference
and which was proclaimed to the
world
The letter. addressed to and read
to the house by Representative Long
worth (Rep., o. said that navy OF
$1,000 men might be reached ulti-
mately, but 1.-The trend toward peace
and security ought to be more firmly
established before going beyond the
limitations to which we were gladly
committed at the international confer
ence.''
The President said he would be
Ky n q
country would be if the enlisted per
sonnei was reduced below $4,000, the
figure which has been proposed by the
"big navy" group.
The Presidents letter follows:
My Dear Congressman Longworth !:
| have to acknowledge your letter of
inquiry addressed to me on the 10th
instant. If | were to address the con-
gress formally / could say only what
| have already said informally, be-
cause I am well persuaded that it is
not wise to make so drastic a cut in
the naval appropriations rs has been
proposed in the measure now pending
in the house.
II do not doubt the good faith of the
committee majority in believing a suit
able navy can be maintained under the
limitation fixed in the pending bill
and am heartily in accord with every
consistent effort to deepen the cut in
governmental expenditures. At the
same time / must believe in the good
faith of the Navy department and our
naval advisers, who say very en-
phatically that it is impossible to main
tain with the proposed appropriations,
the standard set for our navy which
was made the base of the internation-
al conference and which standard we
have proclaimed to the world
"Of course, the decision must lie
with the congress, but should not be
frank in replying to your inquiry if
did not say that / shall be greatly
disappointed-and believe the coun-
try will be greatly disappointed-if
the appropriation, to which the navy
must and will adhere, is reduced to
the point where the limitation Of en-
listed men and apprentices is below
$4,000. No presentation of the situa-
ton which has come to my notice has
served to alter that opinion.
ultimately, perhaps, the lower
figures proposed may be reached, and
j hope it will be possible through later
international concert, but the trend
toward peace and security ought to be
more firmly established before going
beyond the limitation to which we
were gladly committed at the interna-
tional conference"
Changing their first plan, house
members leading the move for an en-
listed naval personnel of $4,000 made
no attempt at the opening Of the house
to force over until next week
vote on the contested section of the
neutrality-suspicious. bill.
Miss Alice Ell. Robertson (Rep.,
Okla.), the only woman member of the
house, during a ten-minute speech on
the bill. declared that women, as adj
visers to the arms conference delega-
ton, had helped fix the SOB ratio, be-
low which she as woman thought
congress should not go in fixing the
enlisted strength of the navy This
remark, taken by the bloc favoring
an $4,000 maximum as Endorsement
of their stand, brought a round of
cheers.