Evening star., 1924-10-20
COOLIDGE ASSERTS
BIG NAVY JUSTIFIED
Urges Maintenance of Full
Capacity Under Treaty;
Cites Service to Industry.

Maintenance in the highest eflirien
ry of the full naval capacity to which
We have agreed under the terms of
the Washington conference" is fully
justified by the Navy's services to
industry and the arts of peace and
science" in the opinion of President
Coolidge.
Writing to Comdr. Marion Epp-
ley. national chairman of the Navy
League of the United States, in a let
ter published today, President Cool
jdge congratulated the organization
on it's plans for Navy day. October
81, and reviewed the peace services
Of the Navy to the nation.
Text OF Letter.
The text of the letter follows:
For several years past, under the
auspices of the Navy League of the
United States. October 27 has been OBJ
served as Navy Day. The date was
selected as ! understand, because it
is also the anniversary of the birth of
President Theodore Roosevelt. 1t is
particularly fitting to observe Navy
Gay on the anniversary of the great
President. who was SO long devoted
10 the interests of the naval cstab-
Ashment. Some of the most interest
ing and valuable of his historical
writings dealt with the proud record
- Of our Navy. Later he served as one
Of it's civil administrators, and finally
AS President, and therefore its Com
mander- in chief, he made the Navy a
particularly potent force for the pres
crvation of peace and the prosecution
of many worthy purposes l am,
therefore, gratified to know that the
same day is this year to be observed
once more as Navy day, for we shall
thus do honor to the memory of a
great American and great Presi-
dent, and at the same time recall the
glorious service of our Navy from it's
earliest beginnings.
1--WE have recently entered upon
an epoch in which, by international
agreement. our Navy assumes a new
relationship to the problem Of sea
power in the world. Under the terms
of the Washington conference. the
leading sea powers have united in
rhe agreemen that the United States
is entitled to maintain a Navy equal
to that of any other power. Thus
we are assured of naval rank sec
ond to none, while at the same time,
under the provisions for limitation
of naval ornaments, this rank is as
.ured to us without engaging in a
competition of maritime construction,
and at a far less cost than would
have been possible under the old
= regime of competitive building. Thus
to fix our security on the seas and
at the same time to reduce greatly
tine expense of the Navy, Is an
achievement of international faith
and understanding which has been
accounted one of the notable accom-
plishments of diplomatic negotia-
tions. ~ .,a- y
Proud OF Achievement. st -
ut must be occasion of pride to
all friends of the Navy that this
momehtous 4 step toward the per-
petuation of peace was taken in the
realm Of naval policy. That it will
prove only the beginning of an in
ternational program involving con-
tinuing reductions of armament by
land, by sea and in the air, is the
earnest hope of all who desire the
3. a boIitfon of war;
"Our American Navy has always
been much more than an arm Of
wartime defense. It's contributions
10 the arts of peace have been mani
ID and OF the utmost importance.
The xrsat steel Industry Of the coun-