The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-07-27
PRES|DENT
FOR BEST
NAVY
Harding, in Seattle Speech.
Urges Keeping Force Up to
Limit Allowed.
By GEORGE r. HOLMES,
international News Service.


International News Service.
SEATTLE, Wash, July 81
Until the day comes when the
nations of the world will agree
not to employ armed forces, the
United States must place it's
chief reliance in a very first
rank navy, President Harding
told the Seattle Press Club here
today in his first address after
returning from Alaska.
Reviews Fleet.
The President made his speech
after a morning spent in reviewing
the splendid Pacific fleet drawn up
in battle array for the Presidential
homecoming. Fresh from the fleet
review came the newspapermen of
the Northwest, and to them he ut
tered the hope that Congress will
always see the necessity of keeping
the American navy up to the treaty
strength, which, he reminded his
power.
Let us hope our Congress, with
the cordial sanction Of the American
people, will continue that first
rank" the President said. 81 be-
lieVe our obligation to the world
means the most exacting restriction
Of our maintenance within the maxi
mum limitation fixed by the arms
conference, and l believe our clear
duty to ourselves Is to maintain the
equality provided in that maximum
until the baptism of international
conscience prescribes joint action to-
ward reduction or complete abolish.
ment."
Any failure to keep the United
States navy in the first rank can
not be charged to foreign influence,
the President said, but is directly
chargeable against us.
The Presidents address to the
Press Club was brief and devoted
mostly to his declaration on the
naval review, but he also talked
"shop" a bit. The complete text
follows:
U. s. Navy Equal to Best.
when our transport brought US
to your great harbor this morning,
we passed the Pacific fleet to give
review. Ours was an impressive
view and a very reassuring one
Within the memory of men who are
still in active service, our navy,
once defiant of any power on the
sea, had become so incOnSeQuential
that there was none to do it hon.
age. We were as humble with our
armed forces on the seas as we
were pitiable without merchant
marine. Today we saw the Pacific
fleet, indicating a naval power not
second or third or eighth or tenth
but equal to the first in all the
world.
Moreover, it is covenanted in in
ternational honor that our navy
shall retain that first rank and any
failure at retention must be charged
to ourselves because the world |
has deliberately acknowledged the
Righteousness of our first rank posi- |
ton.
Perhaps the day may GOMEZ
would speed it all 1 could-when |
nations will employ no armed forces. |
Until such a day comes, we shall |
find assurance in a navy of the |
first rank. We were building two |
years ago at a rate that would have |
placed our armed sea power in ex-
cess of any other power, but in con- |
victiOn that armament cost and |
competition was leading to menacing |
national burdens, we invited an in
ternational conference to fix limita-
tions.
Duty to Keep Equality.
I'VE asked equality with the first |
rank for ourselves and were ac-
corded it. Let us hope our Con |
gress with the cordial sanction of
the American people will continue
that first rank. 1 believe our oh.
legation to the world means that |
most exacting restriction of our
maintenance within the maximum
fixed by the conference |
and l believe our clear duty to our
Continued on Page 2. Column ~ |