The Washington times., 1923-10-26
j. s. PREPARES
To OBSERVE
NAVY DAY
Rear Admiral FuIIam BIames
Inadequate Fleet Of 1917
for Present High Taxes.
BY w. f. FULLAM,
Rear Admiral U. s. Navy Retired.
Copyright, 1929. by Cosmopolitan
News Servtra

IA
Tomorrow will be celebrated as
President Roosevelt's birthday and
also as navy day. This joint OBJ
servance is most fitting. The name
of Roosevelt is linked to the navy
for all time. He loved the navy
and the navy loved him.
He rightly regarded the navy as
the first line of defense in war
and he promoted and guarded its
efficiency as the surest means of
keeping the United States at peace
with all the world. The navy Of
the United States has never pro-
volxed war-never! 1t has never
stood for aggression. 1t has always
stood for peace-peace with honor.
The Navy League-that splendid
and truly patriotic society-has
received assurances of support in
this celebration from all part of the
country, from all business organi
cations; religious societies and pa
triotic bodies. There lis nothing Sec
tional,s nothing partisan in this
movement. It is nonsectarian and
open as the SEAL The President,
D.
gressmen, men prominent in every
political party and in every profes-
sion stand together as true Ameri-
cans on this platform IAN efficient
navy for the protection OF our
homes and foreign possessions. and
for the promotion of peace in the
world.
Army CO-operates.:
One of the most pleasing features
of this years celebration of navy
day is the hearty and brotherly CO.
operation of the army. Secretary
Weeks and General Pershing have
Endorsed the celebration with char
Iacteristic dignity and national
spirit. There is no jealousy be-
tween the army and navy. They
are one service, devoted to a COM
mon country, recognizing the SUI
premacy of the civil power, always
ready to obey. The people may
trust them implicitly.
| There is great need of a wide
spread Endorsement Of the navy at
this time. There are persistent In
dications that budget officials and
little navy men may seek to cut
navy appropriations disastrously in
the next Congress. But the navy
already has been cut to the bone.
The people must realize that the
danger line has already been cross
ed. In reducing expenses the coun-
try must not be left defenseless
and powerless.
The navy today is not manned.
Ships necessary to. seagoing readi
ness are being placed out Of COM
mission. Fuel for fleet maneuvers
has been withheld. A navy that
cannot go to sea and drill for the
emergency Of war is no navy at
all. Ships without men are so
many masses Of steel useless for
purposes Of. war and leading only
| to a false sense of national Sc.
curity. 1t cannot be that the intel
lligent people of this country will
be satisfied with navy that is not
ready for war! Such navy would
not prevent war-and 1t could not
win in battle.
World in Turmoil.
Look at the world today. War
Threatened everywhere. Europe is
a volcano. China Is in turmoil. The
Philippines are in revolt. The San
tiago conference adjourned with no
resolution in favor of mutual dis
armament. The republics of the
American continent-the home OF
republican government-failed to
agree to keep the peace with each
lother!
We need not give way to gloomy
forebodings. But if experience and
intelligent craftsmanship count for
anything in nations life, we may
La; ninth, A. w. Peterson, Des