Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-03
Await the Facts.

President Hoover has moved with
commendable celebrity TO establish 1.-THE
untruths and distortion Of facts" con-
tanned In the Navy Leagues now cele-
brated charge that he Is restricting.
reducing and starving the United States
Navy" In the process Of effecting bud
get limitation" The White House, in
announcing the makeup OF the In
vestigating Committee appointed BY the
President, emphasizes that II Is not
primarily concerned with the Navy
Leagues taunt about Mr.. Hoover's
"abysmal ignorance" Of the true func-
tons OF a feet"
The presidential board Of inquiry Is.
on the other hand. very much con-
eerned with the Navy Leagues indict-
ment of the President for alleged sup
preston Of a confidential understand
ing With British Prime Minister Mac
Donald in October, 1929. The search
light to be turned on will be flashed
solely upon the assertions made by
Navy League President Gardner in his
statement Of october % and not upon
his opinion or conclusions, nor into
budgetary or general policies OF the
Navy" The assertion relative TO Mr..
Macdonald Is one of the gravest at
stake and turns definitely on 8 ques-
ton Of fact.
In naming Admiral Hugh Rodman,
retired, John Hays Hammond, Eliot
Wadsworth, Undersecretary OF State
Castle and Assistant Secretary OF the
Navy Jahncke as his Committee Of Ex-
animation, President Hoover has select
ed i've men who are well known as
citizens Of experience and probity.
The American public expects judicial
Iy unbiased survey of a controversy
that should never have been permitted
to arise. That being the case, the
country can hardly fail to observe that
the President has named jury bound
to incline heavily in his favor.
With two actual members OF the
Hoover administration on it and
third, Mr.. wadsworth, q semi-oficial
member, as a ranking offlcial of the
Presidents Committee on Unemploy-
ment Relief, the majority of the in
curry board is Hoover minded" to
start With. In the person Of Admiral
Rodman the Navy certainly does not
lack q vigorous champion. John Hays
Hammond, being neither Navy man
nor an administrations, may be cast
for the role Of the disinterested by
stander.
The Presidents Committee embarks
upon It's duty Of eliciting the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth
with at least one assurance-that pub
lie opinion is wellnigh universal on
the score that Navy League President
Gardiner INDUCED in indefensibly In
temperate language. He has weakened
worthy case-the case for adequate
naval defense-by calling names. These
are not times, no matter what the merits
Of q national controversy, for bringing
into popular disrepute the exalted posi-
ton Of President of the United States.
Mr.. Gardiner was guilty of disrespect
TO Mr.. Hoover. BY no conceivable pos
sibility can the Presidents board, or
any other committee of American citi-
zens, absolve the Navy League executive
from culpability for his excuses of ex-
preston.
That acknowledged, it is the duty Of
the country to await all the facts and
TO reserve its Judgment on them until
they are developed. It would be a
thousand pities If this wholly unnec-
eSsary and mSeemly squabble should
result in undermining the Nations faith
i'll, and unalterable demand for, pre-
oarednesS at sea