Evening star., 1928-12-23
ANCLO-AMERICAN CLASH
IS CONSIDERED POSSIBLE
Trouble Over Embargo Is Foreseen
Should Britain Go to War With
European Nation.

undertaken to employ their naval SUI
premacy in peace times in such fashion
as would disturb national rights. AS
long as Britain is at peace, all danger
of an Anglo-American clash over neu-
tral rights is non-existent and all per-
ception of latent peril unlikely.
The chief and as see it the single
argument which may fairly be advanced
for the construction of the Is American
cruisers now proposed lies in the fact
that once they are built, once the
American Navy is strong enough to de-
fend the policy of neutrality, the danger
of British interference with neutrality
will disappear. BY contrast, just as
long as our Government continues to
insist upon defending its neutral rights
and at the same time neglects to pro-
vide a proper means to defend them,
it is simply asking for trouble.
America Thought Blufing.
The problem has, however. much
broader aspect. Today the British re-
main unconvinced of our real purpose
in the matter of a navy. Very 1ntiu-
ential elements, notably those which
surround the admiralty, are f1rm In
the belief that we are only blufting, that
we will never build to parity or any
they are steadfastly holding to the view
that Great Britain can continue to ad-
here to her traditional policy and ex-
pect to use sea power without regard
to neutral rights once she is at war.
On the other hand, once the Amer
ican Navy is actually strong enough to
defend neutrality, the British have no
choice but to abandon that policy which
will henceforth be beyond their means
to enforce They will have to give up
the idea of ruling the sea without re-
gard to neutral rights and undertake
revision of the maritime law which will
insure them the greatest possible degree
of safety. And when that moment ar
rives the Anglo-American naval contro-
versy, as 1t exists today, will disappear
for the British are not afraid of parity
as a direct means to their security OF
prosperity, but only as an obstacle 10
their employment of their sea power Of
fensively in time of war
Since Great Britain is today, on the
whole, far less capable of facing con-
tinental war than in 1914 and would
inevitably be driven to American indus
try to find the instruments OF war. as
she was in 1914, financial and economic
power in a new war would remian III
our hands. Our financial position, too,
is much stronger But, on the other
hand, to employ an embargo is always
difficult matter, because OF domestic OPP
position. It would lead at once to q
considerable economic crisis at home
and would arouse the protest OF whole
areas-the South on account OF cotton.
the West because OF its foodstuhs.
Thus the British would certainly f1nC
support in this country among great
and influential sections interested iri
selling abroad. Inevitably, however, wt'
| should then be faced with the old PROB
| lem If we failed to enforce our neutra
rights we should become again the rea
allies of Great Britain. And In thai
case we should again be exposed to th
Iireprisals of Britain's enemy. Thus W.
should have to face the question, when
ever Britain was participant in Euro
pear war, of taking sides either with
against the British.
If there were great and burning is
sues between Great Britain and tn
United States, issues like AlSace-Lor
raine before the war or the Polish Cor
ridor today, the construction Of tn
American fleet to the level of parit.
would constitute an obvious challeng
which might help to precipitate war.
But as long as we are without first
class Navy, we are in immediate dan.
ger of being dragged into a European
| WdE Iklc oLIJdul 10 l1ANO4NC0
We shall have to defend our neutral
rights against Britain or protect our
selves against the reprisal of Britain:
| foes provoked by our failure to defenC
those rights. On the other hand, if We
have the ships, no one is going to in
terfere with our rights and provoke oui
belligerency.
If we have the ships, too, the impos-
sibility of using the traditional method
must clear the way for real codifica-
ton of international law, as it relates to
neutral rights in time of war And
once this result is attained neither we
nor the British will have any reason
to maintain fleets at the present level
Moreover, am satisfied that there
is a growing element in Britain which
would welcome, the decision of the
United States to built it's feet up to
standard, because it perceiyes that in
reality the growth of the United States
in all directions makes the use of sea
power against its will impracticable, but
it realizes that until its naval authori-
ties see the American ships actually in
being they will not abandon a policy
which has become obsolete and thus
make possible the removal of the single
real danger OF an Anglo American war,
that resulting from the repetition of the
circumstances of the World War.
Copyright, 1929