Evening star., 1924-09-20
PLANS NAVY STUDY,
WILBUR D|SCL0SES,
!: LEAVING COOLIDGE
Comparison to Be Made of
Utility of Air, Submarine
and Surface Craft.
AYERS COAST TALKS
WERE NOT BROUGHT UP
Misquoted and Misunderstood, He
Declares, Of California
Speeches.

Following an hours talk will
President COOLIDGE in the Execu
tive's study in the White House to
day, Secretary of the Navy Wilbur
whose sudden recall from visit
along the Pacific coast has aroused
much speculation, declared that hi
would Immediately appoint a board o.
naval experts, which will make {
thorough investigation of the relative
Importance of naval aviation, battle
ships and submarines, and that the
board will report as soon as possible
He said the President is greatly in
terested in this subject, and inasmucf
as there are meany conflicting consid
erations before arriving at definite
conclusion. the President desired t.
go into the matter with the nava
Secretary. 1t was for that purpose
that he asked the latter to come tt
Washington, Secretary Wilbur stated
May Name Board Today.
Secretary Wilbur said he doubted
its hearings before the Budget Bu'
before the Navy Department begins
its hearings before the budget bu-
reau. which will be the second week
in October. He added he thought he
would appoint the board today.
When asked regarding the Presi-
dents expression of views a week
ago that the time has come when
aviation has developed to such an
extent that battleships no longer oc-
cupy their formidable position in
naval warfare, Secretary Wilbur in
timated that, viewing the subject
broadly, he considered the battle
ships still the great factor they
always were and that he continues
to look upon them as the backbone
of the nations war fleet.
The Secretary admitted that air
craft is absolutely essential and
should be extended, and that by its
rapid development has introduced a
new and important factor in national
defense and enemy attack. but the
problem of it's exact relative position
today is a most complex and intricate
one.
Has Report Ready.
The Secretary said he anticipated
the Presidents interest in the sub
5ect, and after receiving the message
asking him to return to Washington.
he believed it was for this reason
that he was summoned. To be pre-
subject at length with Capt Walter
R. Gerard, his naval aide, who is an
expert on naval aviation and who
handled the aircraft participation in
the last fleet maneuvers. Capt. Ger
ardi accompanied him back to Wash
ington Following this talk, Secre-
tary Wilbur had Capt. Gerard pre-
pare, during the long journey to
Washington, a report upon naVal
aviation, which the Secretary quoted
an part to the President today, and
which he left with the President for
his study.
The Gerard report, according to
Secretary Wilbur, deals principally
with the technical features of naval
aircraft, the various types of planes,
their means of attack and defense and
their present state of efficiency.
Secretary Wilbur said that any
speeches he made during his inspec-
tion trip in the West had absolutely
nothing to do with his being sent for
by the President. He declared that
this subject, which has been given
so much space in the press and which
has called for no end of intimate
speculation, was not even touched
upon during the conference with the
President today.
Says He Was Misquoted.
Regarding his Seattle speech on the
Japanese question, Mr. Wilbur said
he had been misquoted in the news
papers.
In discussing the japanese" Mr..
Wilbur said, II didn't say two an
tagonistic civilizations;' l did say two
different civilizations.
Il was trying to differentiate be-
tween the Occidental and the Oriental
7 Eno n a
japanese, but all peoples of Asia. ]
was trying to make point of what
deemed was the difference in tradi-
tions, and what L thought was a
chance of friction between the people
of all Asia and America. The arms
conference made it guaranteed that
there would be no aggressive war on
the Pacific and guaranteed friendship
between the two races by assuring
peace.
Not CrfticizinE Law.
In other words, l was trying to
say that the Washington disarma-
ment conference treaty was a pledge
of friends dship between these races and
a guarantee of faith and peace. That
the United States expected to stand
on its own rights and that we ex-
pected other nations to do the same.
Secretary Wilbur said OF his speech
before the bar association last Fri
day on Catalina Island, which has
since been reported as a ridicule OF
the Volstead act: II cannot imagine
how my words could have given such
an impression" he said. MY audi
ence was made up principally of law
yers, and 1 am sure they understood
No one would have put different
construction upon my meaning had
they stopped to think that while ]
was chief justice of the Supreme
Court of California handed down an
opinion upon this law, which, If re-
called, should remove any doubt
about my attitude. 1 would be the
last one in the world to speak dis
paragingly of any law of the land"
The Secretary said he was endeav-
oring to show what might happen IL
law enforcement in the event Senator
La Toilette succeeds in breaking
down the principles of American gov
ernment, which, the Secretary said
he has set out to do, and If he sue
ceeds in making the Supreme Court
subservient to Congress.
Holds Views Misunderstood.
IT said in that speech" Mr.. Wilbur
went on, that our forefathers came
to this country with the hope of lib
erty and freedom and when they at
tanned this they fought to protect
that liberty. Since then we have been