Evening star., 1926-12-17
DEFENSE PROGRAM
NOW MAJOR ISSUE
Naval Ratio Brings Appeals
From Preparedness Advo-
Gates for More Funds.

Naval defense has now bounded into
the orbit of paramount issues at
Washington. Friends Of the Ameri-
can fleet. and believers in prepared
ness generally, are disposed to go to
the mat with the administration on
behalf of adequate appropriations.
The Presidents opposition to laying
down three more of the authorized
eight light cruisers voted by Congress
in 1924 is not the only question at
stake. Controversy RACES around the
more vital problem of bringing the
American Navy to the so-called
treaty basis" i. e.. full parity with
Great Britain. or letting it degenerate
TO the non treaty basis Of approximate
equality with Japan. These are the
| issues with which Representative
Butler. chairman of the House naval
affairs committee. and his colleagues
are faced, and which they are deter
mined to thrash out at the White
House forthwith.
The American public at large.
lulled into Indifferent serenity after
the World War as has been the Re-
public's postwar habit for $50 years.
is entirely unaware of how the United
states relative naval strength has
been steadily whitfield down since the
Washington conference. Appropria-
tions do not tell the story On paper.
prospective expenditure for the fiscal
year 1927192S seems formidable
$313,S1 $500. That sum is not only a
reduction of s9,00O,000 from expendi-
lures for 19261927, but, according to
naval authorities. does not provide
even adequately for the maintenance
of the fleet at the efficiency point.
~' Twenty Cruisers Needed
This writer has been made acquaint-
ed In responsible quarter with the
things said to be urgently necessary
If the United States Navy is to he
kept anywhere near it's "5" place in
the Observation-Disclosures 5-5-3
| ratio. They are tabulated thus
]. Building of at least a score. of
modern cruisers tof the 10,O0O-ton
| Tight" type permissible to any eX.
tent under the Washington treaty..
2. Auxiliary ships necessary to main
tain the fleet on long cruises, such as
far into the Pacific.
8. Conversion Of Pearl Harbor, Hon.
olulu, into a real naval base.
4. Construction of at least two moro
aircraft carriers, like the Lexington
| and Saratoga, now approaching COM
| pletion.
5. Modernization of fire control
equipment on practically all our ships.
Not only are these physical require
| ments needed to put the American
| Navy on the treaty level with the
British fleet, but there are equally
| urgent needs in personnel, aviation
| and repairs. The 5-5--3 ratio calls for
$4,000 enlisted men to match British
personnel. The Navy states it's needs,
however. as sc, 900 for efficient opera
ton of fighting ships now in commits
sion. The fleet has more than 100
war-built first-class destroyers out %
commission.
| Last year Congress allowed the
Navy enough money to operate with
$1,000 men. Although the House ap-
preparations committee went on rec
ord at the time as believing that the
Navy would need more men in the
coming. hscal year, the director Of the
budget cut the Navy's estimates to
bare 81 900 men-5 900 below what the
Navy wanted and $4,000 below the
| 5-5-3 ratio. Pressure at the White
House. from Navy friends in the
House, is understood to have brought
about an increase in the final person
| mel figures to SO 500 men. The two
new aircraft carriers will alone re-
quire $500 men. Navy ships almost
fwfthout execution are now operating
on reduced compliments.
More Officers Sought.
| The naval officer situation also is in
/ need Of attention. Congress has linn
tied by appropriations the number of
appointments to Annapolis by each
| member of Congress to three, instead
| of the five authorized by law. The
Navy will suffer by this and wants
the number of appointments raised to
/ the five authorized. Shortage of of
| ficer personnel is keenly felt, espe-
cially in naval aviation.
! In addition to inadequate aviation
| personnel the Navy's wings are hav-
z! ing but few feathers added The
country has been lulled into. a sense
| of security by the widely advertised
| fact that we now have a ffSe.year
aviation expansion program. The
| fact that this authorized program for
both the Navy and the Army has not
received a dollar Of appropriationssha has
| not been so extensively advertised
| This has had two results-Ame erican
citizens have believed our ,avia ton is
expanding and have remained con
tent; foreign newspapers have attack
ed our 'nlilitaristic expansionfSs The
f1ve-year aviation program, standing
| as 1t does without appropriations, has
created false content at home and
false suspicion abroad. ~
The Navy is anxious to- continue
with one other feature of the five
year aviation program. namely, the
construction of the two dirigibie air.
ships of 100000 cubic feet capacity
each and one small metal-clad airship
Without start on these ships Amer
lea is being left behind in the realm
of large dirigibles
Our battleships continue to be out.
ranged by the British to a point that
would pit, in prOblematical engage.
ment, 20 British battleships in gun.
merry against 10 American. Our re-
naming battleships would be un.
able, because of lower gun elevations.
to close with the British ships of
higher speed. +. w. w.
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