The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-25
JOSEPHUS DANIELS
Everybody Claims to Be Beneath 5-5-3 Naval Quota.
Something Should Be Done to Straighten Mess Out
If Competitive Building is to Cease

II . military man q % b Ilead
OF the navy. navy people WIN won.
der why an admiral or rear Cd.
n1iral was not selected instead oe
q lieutenant colonel. But these
English-spealing nations have "a.
most always insisted upon 4 csvfl.
ian FOR that post. u taking IN
army officer another one Of Bonar
Laws blunders that Is to mean
his predicted undoingf
The frequent change ii the
first lord of the admiralty II
Britain recalls m incident IN the
administration Of Mr.. Roosevelt.
They say every President
makes speciality 81 some one
department Of government Grant
Of the war Department. Cleye-
land Of the Treasury. Roosevelt
Of the, Navy. Taft c9 Justice.
and Wilson Of State.
Certainly President Roosevelt
ran" the Navy and had five dif-
ferent Secretaries Of the Navy
during his term Of office. The
changes came 50 rapidly that the
comnander-in-chief 81 the fleet
was often doubtful who was his
superior officer, and 70 that ii
the way the story goes ii naval
circles the admiral would turn
to his aide every morning and
say:
Telegraph 70 washington and
ascertain who Il Secretary of the
Navy today
That story would have applied
to Britain any time during the
last ten years.
WHAT FIRST LORD SAID.
The first lord pointed out that
neither the United States nor
Japan had reduced the personnel
6f her navy on such : Iarge
scale as Great Britain and tha4
until Great Britain's two new
battleships were completed four
years hence she would possess
only one post-Jutiand ship. the
Hood. Is against Americas three
and Japan's two, while 81 ships
over 10000 tons. Great Britain
would have only one. as against
Americas ten and Japan's SIX.
Arguing that Britain's superiority
In light cruisers was justified BE-
cause Of the extent Of her empire.
he asserted she was markedly n.
ferior IN destroyers and sub
marines.
Even IN times Of profound
peace he said. 1T would be iEn-
possible for Great Britain 70 be
inferior to any other power, how.
ever friendly
He wanted TO create = naval
base at Singapore, which he de-
scribed as 'Britain's gateway to-
the Pacific and almost what the
Panama canal Ii to the United
States"
Is there anything for rs TO
worry about In the reflection that
at the Washington conference
we promised not to fortify Guam.
Samoa or any Of the Philippine
islands, leaving Japan master Of
the seas In the Far Eastf And
yet Britain pushes TO complete ito
base at Singapore!
The total Of Britain's estimate
for naval needs Il 81, 4O1. les
pounds sterling, or about the
same that the naval appropria.
lions made at the last session Of
Congress for the United States.
But that does not deal at al
with the British merchant marine.
which Is an auxiliary to the navy,
or the ships under the British
colors.
WANTED: A CONFERENCE.
Do not the statements Of these
two naval departments show that
the hailed perfection Of the wash
ington conference has dissolved
into thin ART And that there IL
need Of another international con-
ference to patch up the 6-6-S
divine ratio7
There is q large sentiment to
that effect In England and Q
growing sentiment In this coun-
try. It was manifested in Parlia-
ment, for Immediately after the
first lords speech. q member,
Philip Snowden, In Q speech urg-
ing its necessity. moved that the
government ''use it's influence to
promote a world conference for
the purpose of considering the ex-
tension of the principles OF the
Washington convention to all
nonsignatory states"
In spite Of the governments
opposition, it received 46S favor
able votes to 240 against. So
large a vote shows the growing
feeling for a real reduction OF
armament conference, land as
well as sea, and some effective
method of preventing the naval
competition which is now revived.
When we hear from Japan we