The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-06-01
Now For a New Naval Program

The failure Of the bill to provide the United States
with some very much needed naval vessels ought to be
"a lesson to all concerned
1t failed first because of the self contradictory at
titude of the Washington Administration and second,
because the real need for the ships completely
was lost sight Of in a flood of propaganda, pro and
CON- leaving both Congress and the public completely
befuddled
Originally the measure called for five-year pro-
gram of sevenyone ships of all categorieS cost ap
proximately $725,OOOoo0. But the committee hear
ings went on the public caught dribbles of
programs twenty-year programs, and what would hap
open after that.
Billions and billions seemed to be involved and
finally the people got the idea that somebody had
gone stark mad
Meanwhile, the familiar raw head and bloody
2bones being paraded. Admiral Plunkett told the
country early with Great Britain over trade
was inevitable-whch incidentally few believed and
which, therefore, caused widespread loss of confidence
in the Nays cause.
Then, as if to make the Nays plight worse, Sec
rotary of State Kellogg about this time launched his
celebrated outlawry of plan. The United States,
France, Britain, Italy, Germany and Japan--the
worlds only naval powers-would agree to outlaw war;
not only aggressive war; but every kind of war even
defensive, so it seemed.
We would agree not to fight in defense of the Mon
doctrine anything else, if the Kellogg proposal
was to be taken at face value.
Small wonder that the public became hopelessly
confused 1t could sense in spending billions
on a navy, the use of which We ourselves, bent
banning before the kees of the ships laid
OF course, as it subsequently turned out, Secretary
Kellogg did not mean all he said. We would fight
for the Monroe doctrine, anything else we deemed
sufficient cause, whenever we felt like it.
And Britain made it plain she would do the same if
she signed the proposed pact which leaves matters
pretty much where they were except perhaps to in
crease our own international obligations if the treaty
goes through
But the fat already was in the fire. The public
had SHE'D off, grown skeptical in the face of so much
ockeying And Congress, extra cautious in election
years. went home without passing bill toward which
1t once had been quite favorable,
Next time different line of action should be fol-
lowed. Our needs perfectly plain under the Wash
ington pact Of 1922 Our Navy should equal Britan's
and be 40 per cent stronger than Japans
1t is not so now. The people should be told in what
we are lacking without folderol, jingoism
scares, and they will do the rest
Every American knows his country is the richest
and most envied Of all nations and therefore in
position of some danger. He knows, too that it is
penny wise and pound foolish to maintain large
but still not quite big enough navy for years great
expense only to have it sunk in the first hour OF some
battle on which the safety of the Nation depends.
So if Washington only can make up its mind as to
what really is required to give the fleet the Wash
ngton treaty calls for the public will respond it
always has responded when informed of the countys
needs.