Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-05-04

MO the HOUSE Foteu, ~ Hs'' " -
noes. To Increase the personnel OF the
Navy from $1,000. irecommendsa ny
the Appropriations Committee I'm the
iuterests Of economy. 10 $4,000. urged
strongly by President Harding In
personal message to the House.
Behind his message 10 Congress,
which is credited with tho overturn OF
TN. committees recommendations ana
tho oyerrliling OF Republican leader
ship OF the House In this NATTER was
pressure which was brought To bear
on tho President by members OF tho
Senate. Tho action taken by tho
HOUSE was and still is viewed from /
many angles. BY some II Is calico
severe and unwarran nted further at |
tack on the pocketbook Of tho Ameri- |
can taxpayer. II has been called
victory for miIitarism. BY others stnl
Il is said that even $4,000 men Is not
the full number needed TO man the
ships properly OF the restricted Navy
allotted the United States under the
treaty agreed upon ct the recent con-
ference for tho limitation OF arma-
monts.
The members Of the House all have
TO go before their constituents this
fall for recollection. II was generally
felt that the country at large wants
Government outlays OF money cut TO
the very bone. Amy war OF tho future
is felt TO be many years away. *
not entirely improbable, even impos-
sible. The countries OF the world
carrying enormously heavy war debts
r.g On
= are not, AZ n matter OF fact, eager TO
q resume fighting with each other on
any considerable scale.
/ But while the treaty 10 limit the
q naval ornaments of the great powers
was stlll before tho Senate for Tati-
, hcation, President Harding was told
lin no uncertain terms by centain
Il western Senators that unless the
n larger personnel for the Navy was
= strongly recommended by him 10 the
r House, the prospects for ratification
r.. Of the naval treaty would be slim in
n deed.
% The Senate Situation.
In the midst OF all the row about the
II personnel OF tho Navy, with mos'
members Of tho House facing an Inn
! mediate accountability 20 their con-
ytituents for voting 1000 additiona
's men. q strong group OF Senators tool
- the stand that Il would be ridicuou:
thing to have n certain number d
fighting ships allowed in tn. American
Navy, IL some Of them were going q
he so stripped of crew that they woul'
have to lie idle at their moorings
G with only sufficient force aboard Il
keep the vessels from being utteri!
49, ruined by rust and neglect.
~ Tho Navy Department repeatedl
C pointed out to Congress and the peo
~ ~ pie that only n portion of the capita
,d ships allowed the United States coul
70 be kept in commission. with traine
10 men to operate them. II the cut {
We $1,000 men was made in the person
70 mel of the Navy. In spite Of this. tn
leaders OF the majority in the lowe
branch Of Congress, in tho interest
of economy and In response To tn
60. public clsmor against continuin
n heavy taxes II they can In any way b
"a reduced, were bent on putting throug
= the smaller naval quota.
President Harding did not want I
~ embarraAs any Members OF the Hous
particularly the leadership OF that bod
as by using his influence in the tight. X
a having been a Member OF Congress
knew the exact situation IN while
ny many of It's present Members. wit
d an election on their hands. four
ire themselves. However, he was move
NY TO urge the larger personnel becaui
ST. of the fact that otherwise ratificatio
he Of the naval treaty in the Senate wou
ire have been the subject Of g. real flgh
of with strong possibilities of defeat.
Al 1t can be stated on the best author
es- ty that one Of the western Senator
ng. and one who has long been associati
hat with naval legislation. told the Pres
the dent fatty that he and several of
3. colleagues would have to fight the n
the val treaty to the last ditch unle
4. what they considered an adequate pc
sonnel for the American Navy w
IN? provided. The defeat Of the trea
p would have been a far more serio
ian question for the country and the who
mr. world than would the addition or su
on traction Of 10000 men from the pc
ecI sonnel Of the American Navy. II wou
have upset all of the information
~, agreements reached here in Washin
~ ton by the world powers. It wou
@ have meant going on with the inte
minable race Of naval arguments. a
~, ',iu In the end would have meant, the a
'ne ministrauon felt, very muck great
tax burdens than the $4,000 increa
OF the Navy personnel could poseit
10 mean.
.. 1t is generally believed hero tt
en- many OF the people Of the count
TO will disapprove OF the enlarged D,
sonnel voted for the Navy. becal
e a Of the fact that Government fun
I. raised by taxes on tho people, are
and quired to support them. BY proponel
OF Of the $4,000 Navy. this Is regal
hat ed as an inevitable but somewl
,po- peculiar state of mind.
and One OF the Senators who declared
fer would fight the naval limitation tre;
.ory IL the $4,000 personnel was not m;
an issue by the White House. poi
on out this situation:
Use? Would Weaken Navy.
ID If. in the negotiations between
the powers Of the world which led to
te treaty, the United States had ayr
~" to write into the covenants an agr
70 ment that 1t would scrap one m
was battleship than England, there wo
Ill have been a veritable roar OF prot
from the people OF the country. I'll
ny he said, Messrs. Hughes, Lodge, r.
= l. and Underwood might as well hi
nteo voluntarily retired 10 private
iole' They would have been looked up
Ieet he contended, as having betrayed Il
seas country by permitting it 10 be wea
may specifically in naval power than ano
.fx.r