The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-06-05
Harmful Military Comment

It does not seem either good international etiquette
Or common sense for u. s. naval officers, especially adj
nirals, to make invidious comparisons with other nations
in discussing matters of military interest before con-
gress committees. Yet the consideration of the naval
parity treaty brought back from the London conference
of the powers has been marked by the most unbridled
comment and comparison from high officers in the U.
s. navy. International sensitiveness has been ignored as
though it were nonresident. The delicacy of discussion
of a former day has been cast aside with a brutality that
could not fail of offensiveness over seas and to pain the
pride of the nations with whom we conferred in the fu-
tile hope of cutting down naval ornaments.
W. can see-our adnirals can see very plainly-how
It must have irritated France to hear Mussolini recent
ly roar forth a lot of military blge about cannon and
machine guns being more beautiful than international
sentiment in the direction of peace-a blast palpably
leveled at Gallo rivalry for hegemony in western Europe.
But tranquility in an international neighbor also can
be upset by uncouth references to hypothetical warfare
in which another nation is singled out as the theoretical
enemy. There is sure to be embarrassment in our inter-
national relations as the result of such unwisely open
remarks.
It even suggests the military power ruling the civil
authority when officers of either the navy or the army
can strut IN that way military views which trench upon
international politics. The conduct and the unnecessary
odious comparisons Of Admiral Mutton to the effect that
he can see no reason why Great Britain should say what
kind of cruisers the United States may or may no. build
Suggests C00C ne mas no Capacity q UdIdHCcu StdItIucuL
He misstated the situation as regards the cruiser provi-
sions of the pact.
Still more inept was Admiral Day. blurting out that
'the American PLAN was to use submarines in defense Of
''the Philippines and for activity against the enemy in his
own waters" Sounds like a revival Of the talk Of prob
able war which so irritated both the United States and
Japan in former years.
The New York World reads these admirals a rebuke
that their technical statements before the senate COM
.,;ttoo IN tho hill vjrtIal v annount IN ohnOxi0uS n1ilifar.
ism as well at home as abroad. For militarism," it says,
"n the exact sense of he word exists when the civilian
power in q nation is ruled by the military power. Under
our system Of government the military is subordinate
to the civil power. These admirals, encouraged by the
hostile senators, seem to have forgotten that. The gen
eral board acts as If 1t thought it was a body Of elder
statesmen, whereas it is in fact a body of elderly admirals
which exists to offer advice to the civilian secretary Of
the navy and the civilian president of the United States.
It is q gross ~usurpation Of power for the general board
to set out to defeat an international treaty which its su-
periors have negotiated"
The World continues:
president Hoover would be fully within his rights if he
called these admirals to order and reminded them in no
uncertain terms as to just where they fit into the Ameri-
can scheme Of government. If this thing goes on there
is no telling where it will stop. Already the admirals
have done enough mischief to embarrass the government
seriously. II they keep 1t up for another few weeks, in
cited by reckless men like Senator johnson, they can do
irreparable damage. They should be stopped now. and
so decisively that our ~reighbors will understand they do
not speak the views Of those who control American pol
icy.
"Mr. Hoover ought not to tolerate this business any
further. No head Of a government, no American presi-
dent, would stand what he has already stood. A Roose-
welt or a Wilson would have come down like a ton Of
bricks upon this outrageous INSTRUMENTATION and when
the dust cleared away America and the world would
know that 1t is the civilian power and not the adnirals
who make American foreign policy"