The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-11-12
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS,
Scripps- Howard Foreign Editor

Unless the United States and
Great Britain can find some mutual
basis upon which they can reach,
and maintain, an understanding to
live and let live on the high seas
and in the foreign markets, they
may eventually destroy each other
in war.
This dire dread, lurking deep in
the hearts of leaders on both sides
Of the Atlantic, is one of the bed
rock reasons underlying the Hoo
YER Macdonald meeting in America
and the forthcoming naval confer
ence in January In London.
Senator William E. Borah, chair
man of the senate foreign relations
committee, frankly described the
situation as not disSimilar to that
existing between Germany and
Britain from 1905 to 1914. Both
countries then professed the ut
most friendliness; both denied any
intention to engage in a naval race:
and both harped on the unthink-
ability of war. Yet they clashed.
1t Just Happened
Curiously enough, the situation is
neither of Americas making nor OF
Britain's. 1t jrst happened. The
World war turned many nations up
side down, destroying some. dimin-
iShing some and making others
greater than ever. The United
States emerged from that orgy of
blood the richest and, potentially,
the most powerful nation on earth.
At the outset of the World war.
both the allies and the Teutonic
powers did pretty much as they
pleased with American shipping, so
much so, that President Wilson.
man of peace though he was, told
congress plainly in 1916 that IL the
Stars and Stripes were to be re-
spected. on the high seas we should
have to make it so by building a
navy second to none.
Accordingly, a shipbuilding pro-
gram was laid down in keeping with
what seemed to be the needs of the
times and our position as a, world
power.
Domination over the seas, how
ever. was not Americas aim. What
it really desired was the right to
have its merchant marine use the
ocean to carry on legitimate trade
unmolested in peace and war.
Naval Race Starts
BY 1920 new factor had thrust
itself into the picture. 1t became
obvious that new naval race was
on, which, unless 1t could be headed
off, eventually would lead to no
telling what
In 1921 President Harding called o
conference of the five leading sea
powers to meet at Washington.
There, America startled the whole
world by its drastic and dramatic
proposal to scrap every category of
warships to minimum, establish a
fair ratio of strength for Britain.
America, Japan, France and Italy,
and sign a treaty not to build be-
yond what was decided on.
This conference only partially sue
coded. France and Italy declined
to limit submarines. Britain there
upon refused to limit cruisers. Only
capital ships and aircraft carriers
were limited, therefore, SO the race
went merrily on.
Dissatisfied with the results of the
1921 conference, and mindful of the
perils which rivalries in ornaments
mean, President Coolidge, in 1927,
invited the same five powers to meet
at Geneva.
This conference was complete
daSco. France and Italy refused to
attend, because submarines we're
again up for abolition or curtail-
nent, and the others were hope
Lessly at loggerheads on cruisers.
Leave Bitter Taste
Britain wanted innumerable small
ships, while America wanted a lin
tied number of 10,000-ton ones.
After dickering and pickering for
weeks, the show broke up, leaving a
bitter taste.
Anglo American relations pro-
seeded to drift from bad to worse.
Reports of a revival of an Anglo
French entente, calculated to give
Britain control of the seas, did not
1elp matters much. And congress,
;aking alarm, proceeded to author
re the building Of many new cruis-
IT'S.
Fortunately at this juncture the
British government changed hands.
Ramsay Macdonald, ardent peace
over, returned to power, bringing
With him a sincere desire for Anglo