The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-22
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDER1c ,. HAsKN. Dlrecssr.
Washington, ID. @.
THE NAVY-BIG OR LITTLE?


cents concluded in Washington. was
! economy. Congress has taken the
| economy factor so to heart that it is
now maintained that If the naval ap-
! preparation bill in its present form be-
| comes law, the United States viii be
/ in naval power considerably below the
place it is supposed to hold, for de-
fensive purposes, in the so-called
1913" ratio.
The basis of the ratio is capital
fighting ships = superdreadnaughts
and battle cruisers. Yet it is ele-
mentary that the most powerful fleet
\ in the world. without the proper,
| trained complement of men, is OF little
or no use as a unit of defense or Of
\ Tense. And there, opponents of the
/ bill now in congress maintain, is the
weakness and the threat to the United
States.
Navy department experts maintain
that to keep the navy in a state of
efficiency. at the strength in ships
which is allowed by the four-power
| treaty, a naval personnel of no less
| than $4,000 should be provided for
by LEGISLATION That is the minimum,
provide for all emergencies the coun-
try might face, 10000 men are re-
Quired according to naval experts.
The treaty into which America has
entered allows the United States to
keep eighteen capital fighting ships
Of modern type. 1t is estimated that
with the $1,000 personnel provided by
the naval bill now before congress,
only thirteen OF these vessels could be
kept in commission. The other five
ships would be "in ordinary" which
means that 200 men would be kept
aboard each one to keep them from
being utterly ruined. The Japanese
navy, supposed to have but three
fifthS of the strength of the American
naval forces, will have a personnel of
more than $4,000 men. Great Britain.
limited to the same number of capital
ships as the United States, will have
a. naval personnel totalling about 104,
600 men. The ships themselves mean
nothing, nor do the guns. with no one
to operate them.
Destroyers Hampered.
Not only will the men to man the
big ships he lacking il the present
measure becomes a law, but the man
ming of auxiliary craft, will be impaired
practically to the same extent. To
operate battleships with efficiency, de-,
stroyers and vessels of other types
must be operated with them. The
navy department estimates that with
the personnel suggested, it will be pos
sible to keep in commission q naval
tonnage of 703,14S, while Japan, altho
on paper having but three-fifthS the
strength of the American navy. will
be able to maintain $4,000 tons in
commissioning all intents and pur-
poses, a navy quite the equal of the
American strength.
The argument of the proponents of
the smaller personnel that destroyers
are not vitality needed is answered by
the naval experts with the fact that
the United States is practically with
out any light cruisers. Other naval
powers do not suffer from this lack
In the event of trouble, the United
States must depend upon its destroyers
to function as light cruisers as well.
They must be scouts for the fleet,
carry on the service of information,
develop the enemy attack, and screen
the fleet. Until light cruisers are COM
pleted and in commission. fully
manned, the navy department experts
claim, It is entirely improper even to
discuss a reduction in the number of
destroyers which must be kept in full
readiness always.
Theodore Roosevelt, assistant sec
rotary of the navy, contends that the
naval reserve cannot be maintained
and built up under the bill now in con-
gress. The possibility of manning |
eagle boats and submarine chaserS is I
eliminated by the measure, he says, 7
and this cuts off a very important ad- !
junct of the navy.
Naval Reserves Important.
when the emergency arises and the |
fleet has to be expanded quickly, a |
trained naval reserve cuts months |
from the time necessary to put our /
fleet on war footing" says Col. |
Roosevelt. Furthermore, we pride |
ourselves justifiably on the fact that /
in all times of national need, our
young civilians rally to the colors. If !
they are to do so efficiently, II they
are to have "a show for their white
alley we must give them an oppor-
tunity for training. We cannot do
this under the present bill"
Col. Roosevelt calls the establish
ment under the proposed personnel
a lame duck navy. BY the bill,
fa4r n inf Of I
ton are put in serious jeopardy, he be-
lieves.
The naval situation is viewed as
more seriously than it appears to be
pm the surface. The things the de-
5artment wants included in the bill
are not things that can readily be
created in time of trouble Just as a
National Army" of trained civilians,
such as was proposed by Lindley NJ. /
Garrison when he was secretary of
var. undoubtedly would have met the
need for trained men and officers
particularly the latter-in the world
war, so a trained naval reserve would
0e of inestimable value souhld war
come again.
1t is a generally admitted fact that
| few hundred thousand men with
'asic military training would nave
meant putting American troops into
he trenches in France months sooner
han was the case, where men had to
,e drilled and made soldiers from
he ground up" in the many training
amps turnout the country. The fresh
roops from this country in large
numbers. sent across at an earlier
late. would have meant terminating {
he fighting considerably sooner, ac-
'ording to military experts.
In the event of naval warfare, the
iced is even more pressing for a per-
onneI trained in advance. One of the
main reasons for this is the fact that
he ships for training new men would
'e engaged in fighting. and the men
would have to be trained in their
Iuties on shore as best they could be