Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-24
Naval Building Program of U. S.
Brings Out Divided Opinions

In the national debate over the ad.
ministration's naval building program
newspaper opinion divides on the ques.
ton Of to what extent. II at sll, Amer
lean policy has been influence by
failure OF the three.power reduction
conference. Many observers nay The
program simply will provide the sea
force needed by the United States Tor
Its purposes without regard TO what
any other nation may 90. Others see
In Ii a proper answer 10 the refusal
Of other governments ID enter into a
reasonable Limitation asreen ent. and
still others insist that III proposing
ultimate expenditures = rcarly "A bill
lion dollars the country has gone into
a competitive building race.
Those who feel tense Of surprise
are advised by tbs Boston Transcript
independently that I'VE have discov.
cred that the prevailing European
idea about disarmament IL shat the
other fellow shall do the isarmlDg.
and that "the American policy. as ex.
pressed In this building program. In In
no sense n policy Of menace; 1t Is sim
ply one of effective maintenance Of
our country's relative pos.tion---an nd
that position Is an entirely defensive
one
The Chicago Daily News dndepend.
enu declares that the unfortunate
failure Of the Coolidge three, power
conference on limitation OF naval ar.
mament did not cause any radical
change In the Presidents naval plans.
Additional cruisers and other auxiliary
ships" continues the Chicago paper.
"ate needed by tho American Navy,
az ev one admits, The new naval
appropriation bin contempa,cs "a rea'
sonable building pro ram adapted 10
national requirements. but not di.
rected against any other power"
What In moderate and what extrav.
agent are. OF course. vague terms To
those average Americans whose knowl.
edge of these matters Is remote" &C.
cording To the birmingham News
Democratic). which. however. nnds
that :there In among Americans the
very proper spirit OF patriotism which
would have this Government keep it's
dignity and strength among the mem.
hers Of the international family. This
Government. IL 1t maintains any sem.
blance Of n merchant fleet, should
have these shores properly poiiced.
Yet In adopting this huge pro.
gram contemplated by Mr.. Coolidge
and his advisers In The Navy Depart.
ment Congress would do well to keep
this country out of the attitude of be.
Ing a contender for naval supremacy"
The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin
dnde.'endent Republican, describes the
project as one which "nts within the
scheme Of reasonable preparedness, II
there Ia 10 he no further limitation OF
L. a
for no increase In capita, ships. II
the standard of reasonable prepared
ness IN lowered by II new international
agreement, the program viii be modi-
ned 10 NJ the new standard There IN
assurance that The cost viii he 81
spread over u series II years that the
budget VIII not he nnduiy burdened,
II In not u big Navy pro1ect."
THE United States In warranted | /,
proceeding with inndeinte, bhla need
Navy building" aays the san Antonio
Express independent bemoctatic) aud
thu Jlueneid Telegraph Independent
Nepubiicsn) contends that "if the
United States undei takes q naval pro,
gram of this Kind Il viii he doing Nj
entirely an its own account without
intending 10 equal or sutrass the
strength OF any either power The
Lansing Slatn JhuTnai uhueli"huehtl
also holds that the program zig not
for u wuridaWing force, not an at,
tempt Ia gain the supreme mastery
af The seas II ia not u sWashhuck
linz gesture"
what mare natural" asks the
Raleigh News and Observer uiemo,
eratteb ~ which former Secretary uf
the Navy Daniels ~ publisher, than
that Mi. Coolidge should approve the
naval program that looks Ia equality
within IL few years az Ia suttitina
tba auihnrliy Ia iiae The cuaatessilnai
grant 1T noWar I" coupei The thittah
Ia agree ~ shin IA, shin aud Nun Ton
gun In the naVies nf The twn natinnsf
Wa dn hai expect Ia ses all
~ the IN shtns nah ed fot by Secretary
Wilbur constructed II may he necas
satp IN lay dawn some NJ ,hem ta con
sinss Britain NJ The determination vi