Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-20
Coolidge Attitude Toward Navy
Stimulates Debate on Program

Word from the Black Hills that Pres
1oent Coolidge favors a moderate ma.
val DulIolng program, including the au.
tnorlzatlon OF additional cruisers. slim.
mates new discussion Of what Con.
gress may do as a result of the break.
down OF the Geneva conference The
American press generally deprecates
any suggestion of a construction race
with Great Britain, though most edi
tors assume that the United States will
build to meet adequately it's own re.
quirements on the sea. The extent OF
these requirements is expected to fur.
nish plenty of basis for controversy
when Congress meets.
The reaction Of the Geneva f1asco, u
according to the Philadelphia Evening
Bulletin. has been to stimulate i'm.
mensely the big-Navy sentiment of the
country. The administration holds the
door wide open for an accommodation
London will be wise to see in the re.
sumption Of the eight-cruiser program
the first step toward an inevitable
building to parity, implying a ton.
mage that good will and good sense in
the British government would make
altogether unnecessary" The Charles
ton Evening Post thinks the President
seems disposed to favor a consider.
able expansion, although it is hardly
to be concluded that he has joined the
ranks Of the big.Navy advocates. I"
1t would be a mistake" the Evening
Post adds. ito conclude from reports
that there is in prospect anything like
a race In naval expansion between the
United States and Great Britain. 1t is
a most remote contingency that Con
gresS would authorize construction of
warships on scale which might bring
about such a situation
X X *
That there should be no contest be-
tween the two nations in construction,
but that the United States should have
an adequate Navy, is the judgment of
the Norfolk edger-Dispatch. The
Manchester Union says that our cruis-
err strength is far below the require
ments of national Defense" and the
Albany Evening News declares that
there is no reason why this Nation
should so ahead and build the great
est Navy in the world but there is
every reason why it should keep its
Navy to a standard that insures the
national defense" The Oklahoma City
Times suggests that lit isn't necessary
that we should be mistress of the
seas" while the Milwaukee Journal
holds that there Is a vast difference
between honestly looking to our re.
quirements and the campaign that has
been launched in some quarters to put
Britain in her place."
There is no occasion for the United
States becoming an international Pol
lyanna," observes the Wichita Bea
con, however. and the Fort Wayne
News. Sentinel argues that neither
hn
ment Is hysterical or jingoistic. but
the time has arrived when we can
not afford to neglect further our ma
tional defense requirements" With
the statement that eve believe in re-
duced armament. and prefer no arma-
ment at ALL" the Worcester Evening
Gazette offers the opinion that ''if
we should again seek to lead a move
| Of the kind. the more ships we may
have, the better our chances of sue
| cess"
The Pasadena Star-News feels that
the American people and the British
| people "are broad enough and sym
pathetic enough to be loyal to the
| two countries and to trust each other
in the matter of ornaments, with each
on par with the other on the seas"
X X X X
! 1.-THE agreement, for the moment at
least, proved impossible" says the Du-
luth Herald. But that does not mean
that we should build as many cruisers
as we can. We could build great
many of them. We are able to do
it, II the race goes to the nation with
the longest purse. Of course we would
win 1t. We could build two cruisers
20 Great Britain's one, If we wanted to-
and still not be terribly burdened
But what would be the use of it?'
The Columbus Ohio State Journal re-
marks that there are many things
the money might be spent for to bet
ter advantage. Mississippi River flood
protection for instance"
But our problems as great Ma
tion." asserts the Asheyille Times.