The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-11-12
MORE WARSHIPS
NEEDED BY u. S.,
SAYS COOLIDGE
DepIores Lack of Good
Will Between Nations in
ArmistiCe Day Speech.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12.-Speak-
ing at ceremonies held by the
American Legion here Sunday night
in observance of the tenth anniver-
sary of the armistice, President
Coolidge deplored the lack of mutual
understanding between the United
States and Europe, and stressed the
need of additional cruisers to
strengthen the American naval force.
ut is obvious that, eliminating all
competition, world standards Of de-
tense require us to have more
cruisers" the President said.
Again, having pointed out the in
adequacy of the regular army, and
calling attention to Americas long
coast, outlying possessions, and for
eign commerce and investments,
Coolidge said:
Having few fueling stations, we
require ships of large tonnage, and
having scarcely any merchant YES
sells capable of mounting five or six
inch guns, it is obvious that, based
on needs, we are entitled to larger
number of warships than a nation
having these advantages"
Little Progress in Disarming
In concluding his allusion to the
washington conference, which
reached an agreement for capitol
ships and airplane carriers, together
with the maximum unit tonnage
and maximum calibre of guns of
cruisers, the President said:
ut no doubt has some signif1-
canoe that foreign governments
made agreements limiting that class
of combat vessels in which we were
superior, but refused limitations in
the class in which they were
superior. We made altogether the
heaviest sacrifice in scrapping
work which already was in existence.
That should forever remain not
only a satisfaction to ourselves, but
a demonstration to others of our
good faith in advocating the prin-
ciple of limitations"
been made in naval disarmament
since the tri-partite Geneva con-
ference last year.
All human experience seems to
have demonstrated that reasonable
preparations for defense lessons the
likelihood Of hostile attack, the
President said, and added:
ITO be ready for defense is not
to be guilty of aggression. We can
have military preparation without
assuming a military spirit. 1t is
our duty to ourselves and to the
cause of civilization, to the preser-
walton of domestic tranquility, to
our orderly and lawful relations
with foreign people to maintain an
adequate army and navy
Good Will Is Urged
The United States and other ma
tons, however, had undertaken to
induce additional safeguards for
peace, Coolidge said, and named the
multi-lateral war pact renouncing
wars of aggression as the most "ef-
fective instrument for peace that
was ever devised"
The chief executive spoke of the
new economic and political rela-
tionship between the United States
and the rest of the world. He said
it was plain that Europe and the
United States lacked in mutual UNI
derstanding.
eff we could secure a more COM
plete reciprocity in good will, the
final liquidation of the balance of
our foreign debts, and such further
limitation of ornaments as would
be commensurate with the treaty
renouncing war, our confidence in
the effectiveness of any additional
efforts on our part to assist in the
further progress of Europe would
be greatly increased" Coolidge said.