New-York tribune., 1922-01-06
The Naual Scrap-Heap
Brans Thank You' to the Washington Confercncc-Su
Percy Scott Battcships and Submarines
A Letter to The London Time,

To the Editor of The Times
Sir: You kindly allowed me in your
columns in 1920 to point out to the
British public and the world that
battleships were of no use in naval
warfare on account of the new wca-
pons that had been introduced, but
which up to the present have been only
partially developed.
A committee (not of cxpcrts) were
appointed to consider the question.
The evidence brought before them was
never divulged, but the committee came
to the conclusion that the midshipman
who said that "battleships were of no
damned use at all" was wrong. They
decided to commence four superb Hoods,
and n great deal of money has been
spent on them. While the construc-
tion of these four ships was being pro-
cecded with naval officers of the
United States, after carrying out a
very important series of bombing ex-
pcrlmcnts, came to the conclusion that
the midshipman was quite right. e.,
that the battlcship was of no use.
They put their opinions before the
Washington conference, and that con-
ference very wisely proposed a general
scrapping Of battlcships. AS a
camouflage, so as not to admit that the
midshipman was right or that any
one was wrong, the world was informed
that 1T was proposition of disarma-
mcnt in the interest Of peace.
The Comic aspect
AS an attempt at universal peace we
arc all told to give up building what is
OF no use for war purposes. 1t read to
me more like George Robey than the
august Washington conference. There
is really lot of humor in the propo-
ston. 1t reminds me of a play once
saw. Guy Fawkes finds some one lis.
ten'ng at the door and addresses him
with the point Of dagger at the mans
throat:
Guy Fawkes-Vilain, what have YOU
overheard?
Man-Not syllable, upon my word!
Guy Fawkes-Then you must promise
me, before you go,
Never to tell any one what YOU
do not know.
This is the comic aspect of the case
Our committee Of politicians say: "We
will build four batleships'; the United
States naval officers say: "They will be
OF no use to YOU; We say: "Thanl
you, then we will not build them: ane
we promptly discontinue work on them
Now the valuable aspect of the case
and for which value we are deeply in
debted to the United States for usinf
their brains when we had not got any
or refused to use them if we had any
is this: The turning down of thes,
SHIPS meant saving of money of a
least 9l00,0oO,000, which means is
or more off the income tax. Ir
other words, the people of the coun
try are given f1OO,0o0,00O to spen,
in alleviating unemployment; for, afte,
all, unemployment only means tha
the people Of the country cannot en-
courage employment because they hav
not the money to pay the workers
their money is all being taken by tn
government to build battleships or pa,
high salaries to armies of men an,
women who are doing nothing in gov
ernment Offices.
Now, to return to the comic side. TIL,
Japanese say: "Oh, look here, we are
building very pretty battleship ane
we do not want to scrap her. As .
sop to England tell her to build two
England replies: Owe have no opinion
of our own. The United States tolf
US not to build any battleships, and we