The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-12-15
President
for Farley
Question of Conference on
Limiting Construction Of
Warships Taken Up by
Harding Months Ago.
Announcement Surprise

Washington. Dec. 1i.---(Ey A. P.1-a
President Harding. according to a
statement made in the house today.
has been engaged for several
months" With the question Of nego.
tiating with the bis powers abroad
relative TO limiting the construction
Of warships under 10000 tons. which
he Is requested to do under a proyls.
ion of the naval supply bill.
This information was given BY Rep
resentative Lineberger. republican.
California, during a brief furry OF de-
bato while Chairman Kelley OF tho
subcommittee in charge of the naeae-
nre was seeking TO explain the rea-
sons for tho request. II was. admit
tedlv. surprise TO the committee.
which had not consulted the. preei-
dent prior to presentation of the bill.
MI Kelley had just declared that
while the arms conference had az
forded j net saving of laS,0o0oeos
tho general staff of the navy had rec
commended q projected program, un-
der tho 1o,oo0.tcn limitation. entail.
ing the expenditure Of 1881 100000.
The gentleman is requesting thu
president to do something which we
and everyone knows he has been er-
Gagged in doing for several nnontf,a
past" interrupted Mr.. LineberEer.
Would 1t not be much better YER
biaee TO approve that which the pref
ident is now doing rather than to re-
l.. 4.
has been doing for naonths?"
Mr.. Kelley said he was not inter
ested in tho language Of the request.
as set forth in tho bill, at the Same
tmo expressing the hope that the Cal.
ifornian agreed with the idea.
u do agree with you in principle
he replied.
The only reference TO the president
vas made by Representative Byrnee.
south Carolina, ranking democrat or
the subcommittee, who said he did not
know that Mr.. Lineberger had told
the house that "the president IS now
at work upon some plan for the CALI
ing of another conference tor the lin.
itation OF armament" ~.
Hopes Information Correct.
II assume that the gentleman has
! the information from the presiuent,
Mr.. Ryrnes added "and am delight
cd TO know that this IS true. anust
say that should valup the triforn1s-
ton moro and that would feel more
confident about il if only could have
the gentIsauan state that he did re-
ceive it from the president. but do
not see him on the floor SO far as
am concerned. it is my dearest hope
that it is correct
Many questions were directed at
Mr.. Kelley as to what the other ma
tions had done in the matter Of naval
reduction.
II do not think any nation has
undertaken to destroy any OF It's
ships, although Great Britain pos
slhly has scrapped some of its old
ships. which she had already begun
to scrap before the conference" he
said.
Opportunity Lost.
Chairman Butler of the naval COM
mttee broke into tho discussion.
I'VE have accomplished just this
| by this" he said. We have traded
tho 16inch gun for two 1s-inch
guns. Representative Britten. Ill.
nois, ranking republican OF the naval
committee. declared ''we have lost
the opportunity TO become tho first
naval power and We shall probably
be the second or third.
Generally the bin had easy sailing.
AIr. Byrnes and Representative Oil
yer. democrat, Alabama. another
member of the subcommittee, dis
cussed the measure in detail and ex-
planned how the arms conference had
| affected the building programs. Mr..
| Oliver said that out Of 10 battleships
and six battle cruisers authorized by
tho 1916 program. only three would
be retained by the navy under tho
| arms treaty.
Taking up the bill item by item.
the house had covered one-fourtb Of
the distance when it quit. and II viii
be held in port Friday while an elec.
ton contest is given right Of. way.