The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-06-15

to India and the Far East lies through the Mediter
ranean, where Italy and France are inclined to dis
pute sway and she has not the remotest intention of
leaving this route at the mercy of any British
power or powers.
Secondly, Britain has served notice on the world
that she does not intend to scrap any Of her cruisers
albeit she has approximately three cruisers to our
one. So, if to maintain equality with her in
this respect the Geneva conference, instead of be-
ing economy for us, may actually cost us money
and lot of it, We not triple our cruiser strength
for nothing.
Again, as forecast in these columns when the
conference first preached, Japan is headed for
Switzerland prmed to demand equality in auxiliary
tonnage with the United States and Great Britain.
Naively enough, it seems Japan will argue that in
reality she is entitled to cruisers than the
United States because of her island position and lr
extended trade routes. Also, told, she will
try to prove that equal number of cruisers would
not constitute menace. either to Britain America
because cruisers have only limited radius of action
These arguments of course, are childish. Equal
cruiser and submarine strength for the Japanese,
considering their position the map, would simply
mean placing all Asia and the islands adjacent
thereto, in the lap of Japan. japan could swallow
the Orient whole and Great Britain and America
combined would not be able to stop her.
While for the contention that cruisers radius
of action is limited, that is all very true fact which
has already placed the United States In very in
ferior position when it comes to safeguarding the
Philippine Islands, Guam, Panama. Alaska and its
other outlying possessions. In addition we pretend
to have interests in China which we defend only
by maintaining our open door policy; Monroe doc
trine which implies defense Of the independence
Of the entire western hemisphere from the Aeutian
Islands to Cape Horn, and other items including
some trade routes of our own to protect
These are just few of the differences between
American, British and Japanese points of view which
will be hard to reconcile at Geneva.
After all power is what counts in naval war
fare not just battleshps aircraft carriers cruisers
and submarines. And in sea power the United States
already comes third after Great Britain and Japan.
japanese interests are punched almost alto
gether around her group of islands and opposite
them on the Asatic mainland While Great Britain,
far flung though her possessions are, has chain of
great naval bases stretching from the tight little isle
past Gibraltar, Malta, Cyprus, Alden, Colombo and
Singapore to Hong Kong. We, on side, are with
out bases, so to speak, in what might be called
home waters, having, at Japans request, agreed not
fortify the Philippine islands Guam the Aleutian
Islands.
AS Great Britain and Japan do not seem to be
exactly rushing to Geneva to curta their power,
it is difficult to foresee at this juncture what good
be accomplished there unless Uncle Sam, already
stripped to the waist removes his neither garments
and stands exposed four ways to the breezes.