Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-04-14
PUT NAVY BELOW
THE TREATY RATIO
coNGRESsMEN SEEM BOUND TO
REDUCE 1T so FAR THAT 1T
WILL BE USELESS.
CALLED 'WASTEFUL ECONOMY
Experts Protest Against This Course,
While Administration Officials OBJ
ject to Attempt of the Legislators to
Fix Governmental Policy.
BY EDWARD B. CLARK

BY EDWARD 3. CLARK
Washington.-It seemingly is the in
tention Of congress so to fix matters
| by legislation that the United States
navy, so far as size and efficiency are
concerned, is to fall below the place
assigned to it in the treaty which re-
suited from the recent international
conference.
1t will be remembered that the ratio
of the three greatest fleets of the
world was fixed at 5-5-3. The United
States is one of the SIS. The Navy de-
partment seems to be convinced that
the law makers before they get
through with it will so fix things
that the sea forces of Uncle Sam
shall fall in equipment, person
mel and in general strength far
below the treaty authorization. This
the department says is called economy.
The sailor experts say that it is waste.
Curious things are happening in con-
gress today The house appropriation
committee is attempting to fix policy
| for the government in contradiction to
the plan outlined by those whose duty
it is to recommend policies and then
to ask that the proper appropriation
of money be made to carry them out
So far as can be determined it seems
| to be the intention of the appropria-
lions committee to recommend only
enough money for a navy whose enlist
ed strength shall be limited to $4,000
men. 1t is said that such a navy will
be wholly inefficient. Service men say
that an inefficient navy is worse than
no navy, and they are telling this
to congress. 1t is said with due
deliberation by some administration
officials that the government just as
well might retire from the seas as
to keep afloat a fleet inadequate for
any purpose of offense, defense or
proper training.
Harding Opposes WastefuI Economy.
The President is opposed to what
service men call the folly of spending
money on a useless thing. Apparently
ADMINISTRATION a
few additional millions will make
Uncle Sans navy strong within its linn
itations of size, the additional millions
will be we'll spent. Notice virtually
has been given that the President is
willing to serve the ends of economy,
but notice has been given with it that
there is such a thing as wasteful econ
omy.
The committee on naval affairs of
the house of representatives has rec
commended cut in the naval personnel
to about $4,000 men. 1t seems that
the house appropriations committee is
willing to recommend to the legisla-
tors that only enough money shall be
appropriated to pay 10000 men. 1t is
by this declaration of the amount that
it is willing to recommend for eXpend-
iture on the navy that the approprfa-
lions committee is attempting, as it is
declared here, to fix a governmental
policy which it is the duty of the Navy
department and of the committees on
naval affairs to fix.
1t is believed that if the plan of the
appropriations committee carries, and
the fleets of the United States shall
be reduced to squadrons of no par
ticular strategic value, such ships as
Uncle Sam has must be concentrated
in the waters off one coast or the
other in order to maintain even an
appearance of being serviceable.
Cannot Protect Both Coasts.
Service men say the situation is just
as it would be if it were possible that
the United States one day was to be
attacked from the north and from the
south simultaneously by two hostile
forces, and there were only soldiers
enough to make some kind of DEM
onstration against one of the invading
armies. 1t would be necessary to leave
one frontier exposed.
The administration seems to be
alarmed today over this matter chiefly
because of the seeming determination
of the men who hold the money bags
to ignore the executive departments
and to attempt to frame their own pol
icies for the protection of the country,
and to pay no heed to the recon-
mendations of men who have made
such matters their life's study.
Officers Have Psychasthenia.
There is evidence of great in
terest throughout the country in
the reports of the surgeon generals
office concerning the results of the
physical examinations which regular
army officers are now undergoing. 1t
is said that many cases have been
found which, taken together, show
that strange war-strain ailment is
affecting some of the officer veterans.
Medical experts call it "psychas-
thenia."
There is something almost mystic
about this trouble which is affecting
some of the men who saw service in
the war. Of course today it is not
possible to bring all the men who saw
service to the examination room, and
so the results of the investigations
which are being made can come only
from the comparatively few regular
officers who have been ordered before
examining boards to see if their con-
HIGH MOUNTAINS OF MONTANA