Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-03
MACDONALD BRITISH NAVY
VIEW HELD THREAT TO u. S.
Policy Would Make America Colony of
England, Unable to Maintain Own Pc.
sition i'm War Times, Writer Says.

very considerable number of the small
er British cruisers will be approaching
the age limit. Then the question of
equality can be regulated by an adjust
ment between requirements and new
construction. Agreement on $4,000
mise. But to go to the conference with
10000 and ask the British to come
down to our level would be absurd.
To reason that because we have been
most active in pushing through the
Kellogg pact we should abandon all
adequate naval defense is, in the YER
nacular, "the bunk" pure and simple.
No other signatory of that document
has given the smallest evidence of in
tending to make it the basis for a re-
ductton of its means of defense. No
signatory has suggested that a co-sig-
natory should do this, with the single
exception of the British, who, through
Mr.. Macdonald. urges that fe should
indulge in this pleasant experiment.
Borah's Parallel Is Given.
Senator Borah has referred In the
Senate to the parallel between Ger
many and Britain before 1914 and the
United States and Britain now. I have
myself written of this parallel and been
severely criticized by British friends.
Yet 1t does remain true that the naval
dispute has created a bitterness today
strongly reminiscent of the earlier cpl
sode. We are undertaking to challenge
British position on the seas, lust as
clearly as and even more dangerously
IMAM the Germans did. The British
are resisting this challenge, but pas
slvely rather than actively and with no
thought of war They have resolved
that even If we build fleet equal to
theirs they will not fight us.
But, on the other hand, they are
just as firmly resolved not to help us
by scrapping their cruisers. They will
not go to war with us, but they will
oppose us by every known means of
peaceful obstruction. Instead of Ira
1algers and JutlandS we have had
Washington and Geneva conferences
and at Washington the success of Lord
Balfour put both Nelson and Jellicoe to
shame. And instead of making an
alliance with a foreign country against
US they are using pacifists like Ramsay
Macdonald to appeal to the embattled
pacifists of the United States.
But the thing has gone so far now
tnat sensible people in both countries
perceive that the only possible basis for
adjustment Of the troubles lies In the
construction by the United States of a
f1eet which shall be strong enough to
insure that, when next Britain goes 70
war, the United States will NOT he
transformed into a dominion or a
colony, made an unconsenting accom-
pllce OF British sea power and even
tually dragged into the British struggle
as we we're In 1912 and 1917, because
we were not able to wage neutrality"
U. S. Should Decide Own War Status
Whether in the next war we decide
to be neutral or the ally of Britain. we
must be left with full power to make
the decision on our own. Just as long
as We cannot maintain neutrality, the
British Seapower will undertake to regu-
late the seas in British interests. as we
should do and have done under like
circumstances. When j. Ramsay Mac
Donald asks us, in the name of the Kei-
logg treaty. to abandon our naval pro-
gram the effect Of what he asks Is that,
as an example to the world of our own
pacific intentions, we should agree to
permit Great Britain to continue to rule
the seas. And because, as a Briton
Mr.. Macdonald believes that British
naval supremacy is inherently right, he
perceiveS no inconsistency in this amaz-
ing demand.
Moreover, what is most amusing about
eA0 MacOoiaio CpiSOOe ID CIldC t1c OILS"
tinguished labor leader is, in effect, Dor
rowing leaf out of the book of the late
Lord Northcliffe. whom he despised. He
is undertaking to break down the soli-
darity of American public opinion. He
Is conducting what amounts to a peace
offensive. which would win the naval
conflict for Britain. If it were success
full, this appeal of British pacifist to
American pacifism would leave British
seapower Supreme-and, as practical
matter, would insure that eventually
American resentment would mount still
higher and the conviction that we had
been deliberately deceived however, I'M
just. would still further poison Anglo
American relations.
tCopyright, 1922