New Britain herald., 1924-12-16
PRESIDENT FEELS
 !. 5. NAVY IS SAFE
Sees No Need for Congressional
 Inquiry
IGNORES OTHER NATIONS
Wants Fleet Adequate for Defense Without Regard to Steps Being Taken on Sea by Other Great World Powers.

Washington, Dec. IS. --- Naval buildings by the nations of the world on a competitive basis promises lit- tie hope for the future in the opin- ion of President Coolidge.
 With respect to the American navy, the administration viewpoint was again defined today as looking toward a navy adequate for the de- fense Of the country without respect to steps taken by other nations.
 These views as expressed at the White House were supplemented by the statement that the president re- gards as unnecessary any congress sional inquiry into the state of the nations navy.
 Inquiry Suggested.
 The proposal has been made in congress that an inquiry should be undertaken into the status Of the navy before appropriations of addi- tional funds, but Mir. Coolidge re- gards the investigations and hear ings held annually in connection with the naval appropriation bill as a thoroughgoing inquiry into the state Of the naval establishment.
 Furthermore, he feels that the na- val general staff and the secretary of the navy continually are at work ex- amining the conditions Of the naval establishment and their findings are at the disposal at all times of con- gress.
 Gun Elevation.
 Although the question of gun eIe- vation on capital ships has again come to the fore through consider alton of pending legislation, MT. Coolidge does not regard that as an important factor In the present dis cussion Of the national defense. He has not examined the proposal thor oughly but inasmuch as five of the eighteen capital ships are deemed to need no elevation of guns and five others are declared by naval off cials to be comparable in gun range with the major elements of other navies, the matter of elevating the guns of the eight remaining hardly could be considered as of prime i'm. portance. Another factor to be coz i sidere1 in the presidents opinion ii. the matter of expenditure, an apprJ. | priation of s6,500.000 having beer proposed in the pending legislation for such work.
 Views of President.
 The presidents views were brought forth by an inquiry at the White House for a statement as tc the comparison of the American navy with with those of foreigr countries, Mir. Coolidge does no want to proceed on the theory of { continual comparison of world na, vies. Such a method of naval build ing would leave slight hope of re, duction in armaments and therefore the only economical and at the same time safe yardstick with which tc measure the American navy would be that of its adequatenees to de. fend the country's coasts.
 An address made by Chairman | Hale of the senate naval commit tee last summer in the senate pro- Ndes in the presidents opinion 8 complete statement as to the state of the American navy. This since has been supplemented by the study of five needs, made by the budget bu- reau, by the president himself in his consideration of budget estimates, ! and by the house naval committee in it's consideration of the pending na- val bill. Further light on the subject will be brought out by the house de- hate on the appropriation measure, the senate committee consideration and the senate debate and with the navy having run the gamut of such an inquiry, f is the presidents view that another investigation such as has been proposed would hardly be necessary.
 Action Postponed. ! Simultaneous with the statement 1 Of the presidents view the senate naval committee postponed action on the resolution of Senator King democrat, Utah. for an inquiry into the utatus of The navy.
 Chairman Hale announced a sub stitute plan" had been presented tc the committee but declined 10 ex. plan wherein it would differ from the investigation sought by the Utah senator, who charged the navy was not being maintained al it's treaty ratio.