The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-11-16
STRONG NAVY
VITAL TO u. s.
FIGURES SHOW
America as Dependent as
Britain on Products of
Other Nations.
FOREIGN TRADE is HUGE
Country Must Rely on Its
Exports to Big Extent
for Prosperity.
This Is the sixth Of a series on the
coming five-p power nn-al parley, written
by an expert on world affairs.

This Is the sixth Of a series on the
coming fve-pOwer nn-al parley, written
by an expert on world affairs.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
scripps-Howard Foreign Editor
why the United States should
want navy equal TO that of Great
Britain is question difficult to an
swer." said Lord Wester- -WeymSs,
admiral of the British feet.
So the puzzled sea dog put the
query bluntly ito distinguished
American naval officer, who just as
blandly came back with: well, why
shouldn't we?"
This reply, Lord WeymSS seemed
to consider no answer to his queS-
ton, for he remarked, "it is neither
the weight of Americas response
bilities nor the defense of her coasts
which demands equality with Great
Britain"
Why does America insist upon
parity?
Shipping Worth Billions
The United States has a popula-
tion of 120,OO0,0O00. 1t has a ma
tional wealth of approximately
$3.50, 100000, or three times
greater than Britain's, six times
greater than Frances, ten times
greater than Italy's, and fifteen
times greater than Japan'S.
Former Secretary of the Navy
Curtis d. Wilbur points out that
America has more than 20,0000,000
tons Of merchant shipping on the
seas. AT $3.50 ton, this would be
worth $4,000, 100000, or about equal
to the value of all the property in
the United States at the time of the
Revolution.
Our foreign investments, says DR..
Max Winkler, vice president of Ber-
ton, Griscom g. Co., bankers of New
York, amounted to no less than
Sl5,600, 100000 at the end of last
year and they are still increasing at
a rate of between one and two bill
lion dollars annually.
''The insular possessions of the
United States" says Admiral E. w.
Eberle, former chief of naval oper-
ations, plus our investments
abroad. our shipping and other
trade facilities overseas, aggregate
value of nearly $4,000, 100000" or
more than our total national wealth
in 1880.
Foreign Trade Is Huge
The foreign trade of the United
States, about equal to Britain's,
amounts to approximately ten bill
lion dollars a year, which business
President Hoover characterizeS as
our prosperity balance"
That is to say, our export trade
takes care of our surplus production
and if for any reason this surplus
were left on or hands, factories
would slow up or close, the bottom
would drop out of the price of farm
products, vast unemployment would
become inevitable, and the country
would be up against hard times.
Keeping the sea routes open to
OUR foreign markets. therefore, spells
the difference between the average
citizen having a job and not having
a job-Something which most Amer
leans admx is rather important.
Britain stresses her need for food
and raw material from the outside.
America faces a similar necessity,
though raw material, rather than
foodstuffs, constitutes her great
need.
Rubber is an example. A blockade
cutting off rubber from this coun-
try would force every automobile
and tire factory in the land to shut
down along with electrical goods
manufacturing concerns and the
thousand and one businesses and
trades dependent upon these key
industries.
Need Many Foreign Products
There are more ways than one.
Senator Borah of Idaho pointed out
in the senate, to starve a nation TO
death or bring it to its knees. Be
sides rubber, America must obtain
from overseas such things as
chromium and manganeSe-vital to
the production of high-grade steel
antimony, nickel, tin, tungsten,
hemp and so on. plus many of the
materials needed in the manufacture
of some of our most important
drugs.
America, in short, Is as dependent
upon the outside world as Britain
or any other nation. Her needs may
not be identical, but they are just
as great.
Her wealth, her vast population.
the standard of living of her citizens.
the continuation of the average
citizen,S prosperity. her prestige n
a world which. whether one likes II
or not, still depends largely upcn
material strength. and the ordi-
nary requirements of national de-
fense. all speak not for superiority.
but for equality, along the interna-
tional highways Of the sea.
BaS.cally, such is the position OF
faa limited States