Evening star., 1927-06-01
SWANSON URGES
553 EXTENSION
Senator Tells Senior Naval
Officers U. S. Must Main
tain Its Forces.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NORFOLK, Va, June Amy new
treaty for the limitation of arma
ments at the coming disarmament con
ference at Geneva not only ShoulC
provide for the continuation of the
500 ratio as it relates to the United
States. Great Britain and Japan, es
tablished under the Washington
treaty, but should be extended to al
kinds and character of naval ships anc
ornaments, Senator Claude A. Swan
son, Democratic member of the ma
val affairs committee. stated here
last night in an address delivered at a
banquet rendered senior officers OF
the United States fleet, now at anchor
in Hampton Roads.
In urging a navy for America sec
ond to none the Virginia Senator as
serted that "the future of the Republic
lies upon the seas and that failure
there means national decadence and
disgrace"
First to Sacrifice Supremacy.
Senator Swanson said, America
was the first and only nation in the
history of the world that voluntarily
surrendered its naval supremacy and
agreed to reduce its naval pre-emi-
nence to equality with another nation.
/ do not purpose to discuss at this
time whether this decision on the
part of America was wise or unWlse,
bat in passing will say that if we
fall to keep our navy equal in all
respects to that of Great Britain and
in the ratio of So equal in all respects
to Japan, the Washington conference.
with its treaty limiting naval arma-
ments, will be a failure and America
will have made a foolish sacrifice of
power. safety and policy.
"Any new treaty for limitation OF
ornaments at the coming disarma-
ment conference at Geneva should
provide not only that this proportion
between these nations should be con-
tinued as existing under the Wash
ington treaty, but should be extended
to all kinds and character of naval
ships and ornaments"
Demand Will Be Greater.
'"The demand for great navy in
the future will far exceed any which
existed in the past. The United States
has ceased to be an isolated nation.
1t has become a world power and
must accept and perform its world
work, duty and responsibility.
BY tradition, by honor and by self
tain at all hazards the Monroe doc
trine and to extend our protecting
arm to the nations of the Western
Hemisphere. We have possessions and
large commercial interests in the
Orient which require constant care
and protection. Our national safety,
commercial prosperity and industrial
development are inseparably inter-
woven with our continued possession
and control of the Panama Canal. The
retention of this canal is absolutely
depedent upon the America Navy.
Our possession there is no stronger
than is our Navy.
1.-The future of this mighty Republic
lies upon the seas. Failure there
means National decadence and dis.
grace. Success there means National
prosperity, power and progress. with
out a navy sufficiently adequate
which means a navy equal to any
nation-our foreign relations and inter
course must necessarily become timid
and vascillating. The great affairs of
the world affecting our interests will
be regulated without consultation with
us. We will then become suppliants."