The Washington times., 1931-11-05
AIDE
STANDS BY
HOOVER
Colonel Breckenridge Is Only
Executive Board Member
UphoIding President

A vigorous fight over President
Hoover's naval policy was prom
ised today when the executive
committee of the Navy League,
by a vote of seven to one, decided
to stand squarely behind their
president, william Howard Gar
diner, who said Mr.. Hoover was
"abysmally ignorant" Of current
Navy affairs.
col. Henry Breckenridge, AS
sistant Secretary of War dur
ing the Wilson administration
cast the single dissenting VOTE
asserting that the nature Of Gar
diners language in his attack on
Mr.. Hoover will not serve the
best interests of the Navy or
the Navy League"
The league took a whack at the
Presidents special committee, ap-
pointed to disprove the accuracy
Of Gardeners pamphlet, when 1t
said it welcomed IAN impartial
sid coqnpreherlsive iryestagat ton
which viii throw much needed
liellt in the present conduct OF
American naval policy"
Gardiner In Defense
Gardiner, following his VIC
torious session, said:
II wrote the pamphlet pub
Mshed by the Navy League ON
October 2S In the best OF good
faith. I wrote it in the hope
that IL would bring home to
my fellow COuntrymen, and
to our selected representatives
In the executive and legisla-
tive branches Of our Govern
nient, what sincerely believe
to be the very serious cOndi-
tfon that cOnfrOnts our
country"
The two charges in the Leagues
pamphlet to which President
Hoover took the most exception
were, first:
That he and Premier J. Ram
say Macdonald of. England
reached agreements at the Rap
ida1 tVa.) camp of the Presi-
dent in advance Of the London
Naval Conference that have
never officially been divulged in
their entirety; and, second, that
the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee was refused permiS-
sion to see "even in executive
session" the full record Of the
negotiations and possible prellm-
mary commitments preparatory
to the 1880 conference.
Breckenridge Explains
Colonel Breckenridge explained
his vote as follows:
'sIn voting mo- to THE resOIu-
tiOn, I wish to record my deep
conviction that Mr.. GARDENERS
statement contained unseemIy
and unjuStified language con-
cerning the President Of the
United States, language that ;
win not serve the best inter
ests Of the Navy or the Navy
League, language that should
not be approved by the Navy
League"
The full text of the reSolu-
tion Of confidence follows:
'The executive committee Of
the Navy League Of the United
States, meeting in Washington
today, affirmed it's faith in the
statements issued by the leagues
officials and welcomes any Inn
partial and comprehensive in
vestigatiOn which will throw
much-needed light on the pres
emit conduct Of American naval
policy.
.'TO this end the Navy
League gladly offers its rec.
OrdS without reservation.
Furthermore. IL resolves to
pursue the purposes and poll
cies for which the Navy
League was founded"
Those who signed this reSolu-
ton were the chairman Of the
board, Walter Bruce Howe. this
city: william Howard Gardiner.
New York: Henry Cabot Lodge
Beverly, Mass: Nelson Macy, New
York: Douglas Robinson, Of MO
hawk, N. Y, Assistant Secretary
Of the Navy in the Coolidge Ad-
nlinistration; N. M. Hubbard, Cnl'
cago. and former Senator James
W. wadswOrth' 'r'' 0i New York: