Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1922-04-21
HARDING FIGHTS
FOR j. 6. NAVY
Insists Force Should Be Kept
Above $1,000 Mark.
SENDS LETTER TO HOUSE
Declares That Number of Men Is
Necessary to Maintain the Amer
lean Navy-Woman Member
of Congress Against Cut.

of Congress Against Cut.
Washington, April 15.- President
Harding i'll 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
a cut as proposed in the house bill.
ohe President while mot doubling
the good faith of the committee
majority said he must believe in the
good faith of the navy and naval ad-
vlsers 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 peaceI
and security ought to be more firmly!
established before going beyond thei
limitations to which we were gladly!
committed at the international confer,
ence."
The President said he would be
greatly disappointed as he knew the
country would be if the enlisted per-
sonnet was reduced below $4,000, the
figure which has been proposed by the
big navy" group.
Text of Harding's Letter.
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 l could say only what.
| have already said informally, be-
cause / am well persuaded that it is
not wise to make so drastic cut in
the naval appropriations as 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 l am heartily in accord with every
consistent effort to deepen the cut in
governmental expenditures. At the
same time l 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 information
al conference and which standard we
have proclaimed to the world.
Must Lie With Congress.
"Of course, the decision must lie
with the congress, but 1 should not be
frank in replying to your inquiry if
did not say that l shall be greatly
disappointed-and / believe the coun-
try will be greatlJ disappointed-if
the appropriation, to which the navy
must and will adhere, is reduced to
the point where the limitation of en-
ilSlcu u1tu anu apprentices Is D0IOW
$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
/ 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 a
vote ON the contested section of the
naval-appropriations bill.
Miss Alice III. 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 5-5-3 ratio, be-
low which she as a 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.