The Washington times., 1925-02-24
SECRETARY
HOlDSIT
CRIME
Denounces Pacifists in Talk
to Defense Women-Refers
to Bombing Dispute

An adequate peace time navy
was urged as a necessity for
national security, and disarma-
ment was pictured as "a crime
against God and man." by Secre-
tary of the Navy Curtis D. Wilbur,
in an address today before the
women's conference on national
defense as peace insurance, in the
auditorium of Red Cross national
headquarters.
A passing reference only was
made to aircraft as part of the
naval scheme of defense in the ad-
Gress of the Secretary.
Battleship Dispute Ignored.
IF bombing planes can sink a
battleship, we want bombing planes
to sink the battIeships Of the
enemy" he said.
Beyond that assertion and the
underlying theme of the addresses
of the Secretary and Admiral T..
w. Eberle, chief of operations,
that the battleship is the major
means of naval defense. there was
no discussion from the viewpoint
of the navy of the mooted ques-
ton of whether battleships must
bow to aircraft.
The Secretary sketched the navy
as having both war time and
peace time purposes.
The $500, 100000 spent annually
to keep up the navy are well
spent, he asserted.
: During peace time. he pointed
out, the navy is a vast school
which trains men and at the ex-
piration of their service returns
them to civilian life to be among
the country's best citizens.
The navy head scored severely
persons of pacifistic leanings./
Calls Disar1ning Crime.
"For a great and wealthy ma.
ton like America, employable to
sustain it's peaceful missionaries
Of righteousness everywhere and
to advance justice and righteous
ness in the world, for such a ma
ton to disarm and subside into
pusillanimous incompetence would
be a crime against God and man."
he asserted.
when we are ready to yield all
things to the will Of Others" said
Wilbur, when life. liberty and re-
ligion mean less to us than the
effort to maintain them, we may
abondon the navy and submit to
the authority and power Of more
virile race.
Armenia An Example.
But even such servile and pusil-
luminous submission may not give
the peace such sacrifices are made
to obtain.
"The appraised hands Of millions
Of slaughtered Armenians, men,
women and children ruthlessly but
chered, warn us there is no security
In complete disarmament
THE pitiful cries Of children led
to slaughter should warn us that
the Kingdom of Heaven is not yet
arrived on earth no matter how
much we have prayed for 1t.
Navy Held Guarantee.
That the navy adequately main.
tanned is the surest guaranty Of
peace that we possess" was the key
note of Admiral Eberle's outline Of
LH0 Vi TIE navy TO the
country's security and commercial
progress.
A merchant marine, owned,
manned and operated by American
citizens, he pointed out, is now
necessary to our continued economic
development and prosperity"
"A merchant marine, however" he
said, without an adequate navy TO
support it, has no security"
Assertions by both speakers Of the
need of adequate national defense
measures were approved by recur.
ring bursts OF applause from the
women. who represent fourteen ma
tional women's organizations.
Speakers this afternoon will pre-
sent further phases Of naval defense
measures.
1.-The Personnel of the Navy is
the topic of Rear Admiral w. II.
Shoemaker, chief Of the bureau Of
navigation, and THE Navy in His.
tory" that of Rear Admiral w. w.