Evening star., 1925-08-16
ADM. HUSE SCORES
R|DCUL|NG OF j. S.
Navy Veteran Flags Un-
friendly Comment at In
stitute of Politics.
By the Associated Press.

WlLLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Aueust
l5.-Criticism of alleged ridicule of
this countrys foreign policy and criti.
cal and unfriendly comments on the
Army and Navy by speakers at the
institute of Politics. now holding its
nrth Summer session here, was made
at an institute conference today by
Rear Admiral Harry M. p. Huse, II.
;. N, retired, of Washington. He told
the 300 members and associate mem
bers OF the institute present that their
laughter and applause at such COM
ments was Surprising and that I'VE
should not be here on the defensive
against our own country
Admiral Huse made reference to a
lecture given here last night by DIR.
William Z. Rappard of Geneva, mem
Der OF the permanent mandates com
mission of the League of Nations, and
this drew a response from DR. Rap
pard in which he declared he had no
intention OF throwing discredit on the
Army or Navy, and was sure that no
unfrfendliness would arise from the
incident.
Army and Navy Ridicuied.
The statement of Admiral Huse was
as follows:
'1n the past few weeks considera bic
ridicule has been aimed at the policy
OF the United States. 1t has been done
III pleasant vein, and the gentlemen
from other countries who have thus
spoken have kept entirely within the
bounds of propriety. ! offer no criti-
cism of their action, but it is matter
ot surprise that their ridicule has pro-.
voked laughter and applause here
IF one of us were addressing a.
French or Italian or almost any Euro
pean audience l feel sure that ironic
criticism would receive a cold recep-
tion. | believe that the remarks that
! allude to have not been read with
pleasure by the much wider audience
reached by our newspapers. Army and
Navy officers have never been, and are
not. deteTred from approving a reduc-
ton in armament by the fear of
lessening their own Importance. Nor
was the main purpose of the United
States Government in calling the con
ference for the limitation of arma-
ments to reduce taxation.
Here, | want to say, almost every
allusion to the military forces of the
United States has been critical and
unfriendly. l believe that this is the
only country in the world in which,
before an audience of this class, such
a condition would exist. Other coun-
tries generally show pride in the
SCI itSS VI lISII dI lily anu i
claim that the record of the United
States Army and Navy is not without
credit and that we should not be here
on the defensive against our own
country"
DIR. Rappard Replies
DR.. Rappard then said: Il simply
wish to thank Admiral Huse for the
admirable temper in which he refer
red to my remarks, and | am sure
that he and the friends who listened
TO me, If not the much larger audi
ence. quite understood the spirit in
which I made them. Nothing. of
course, Is more absolutely foreign to
my mind than the desire to throw any
kind of discredit. even If l could do 1t,
on the Army and Navy services of the
United States. 1t would be not only
impossible and inappropriate, but
highly absurd. If anything I said
gave rise to the impression that 7 was
attempting to ridicule anybody, least
of all the American Army and Navy,
I hope that / may not be misunder-
stood and / am sure that no un-
friendliness can arise from the Incl
dent. I am extremely grateful to Ad-
miral Huse for having taken it with
such fine spirit"
Robert Mason of Paris, prominent
French banker, discussed his coun-
try's financial problems tonight in hts
fourth lecture on THE Peace Prob
lens of France"