Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-27

Navy Day.


because OF his demand for a SCI 900 900
clash in the current naval budget, re-
veals himself, in principle at least as
b firm believer in adequate defense at
sea. THE first necessity Of our Gov
ernment," he says "is the maintenance
In conjunction with our Army, no
enemy may ever invade our country"
At the end OF the London Naval Con-
ference in 1880. Secretary OF State
Etimson, reviewing its results. said: In
American cruisers there will be an
actual increase under the new agree
Snent. But this is due solely to the
fact that we have been idle in cruiser
building for nearly ten years and now
ind ourselves with less than a quarter
Of the normal proportion Of cruisers
which we should have In respect to the
rest OF our feet. Therefore. in order
90 achieve parity with Great Britain.
It is necessary for us to increase our
cruiser tonnage"
That was the oficial attitude of the
Hoover administration a year and a
half aeo--it was on April 10. 1880, that
Secretary Stimson made his public and
candid avowal Of American tnferiority
an the highly essential cruiser arm Of
modern naval force. Since that time
not a single step has been taken by the
United States toward attaining the
snormal proportion" which we should
have In respect to the rest Of cur fleet.
Neither from the White House, which
originated, sponsored and achieved the
London Conference, nor from Congress,
which Is the authorizing power. has
any action emanated looking to the full
xillment Of our treaty navy rights,
excepting provision for eleven destroy
ers--0nly five of which, by recent
presidential decree, are actually to be
laid down.
The American people have just
eearned, to their undoubted chagrtn,
&hat the second strongest power in the
world, France, Is unwilling to consider
disarmament. II M. LavSl's recent visit
no washington had any one concrete,
klnmistakable result It Is the revelation
&hat nothing revolutionary is to be ex-
&ected from the Geneva Conference Of
IsS2 or any other idealistic attempts
30 demobilize the worlds war machin-
cry. The corner stone Of all the con-
sversations between President Hoover
and the French premier was the po-
aitical instability of Europe.
M. Laval was informed that the
Omitted States has no interest in
Europe's efforts to put its political
house in order. unless attempts are
knade TO accomplish that process
Through war Then. inferentially, Amer
lea would be interested, 1t would
be interested for very practical rea-
snn. The reason Is that it could no
more hope TO remain permanently aloof
from embodiment in another European
conflict than it was able TO do so four
teen years ago. when its stake in the
Old world was incomparahly less than
Of Is today.
II the incalculable conditions prev
Mlent In Europe adnonish the Aneri-
scan people 10 keep their sword sharp
and their powder dry. what about the
the situation ON the other side of the
globe? Japan has Just been served
tvith an ultimatum by the League of
NSations to take her troops out Of non
kreaty aones In Manchuria by Novem-
her Is. Toxic resents these orders
IRON Geneva. The japanese partscu-
Aarly resent even the tenuous and un-
1ofacial part the United States has TAX
.Ru In the deliberations leading up to
The Leagues manifesto the eventual
outcome Of which is wholly unpredict-
able.
President Hoover's Navy day state
Mnent declares that Our problem is to
assure the adjustment of our forces 70
&he minimum based upon the outlook
N the world" 1t would be wide Of
sSaae mark to say that the outlook sug-
MeSts the imminence OF war. But by
Sno stretch Of even the most altruiStic
Aamagination can it be depicted as one
chat justtfes the United States in any
eNcnSAhtoA Oh &eS 4c&4tAAAAHbS pASP04 q SASAAS
for international emergencies. II. as
Secretary StimSon asserted, 1t WAS nee
essary for US 70 increase our cruiser
tonnage" IN April. 1880. It is irnmeas-
Urably more important that We proceed
to do so in October, 1891. as We survey
. world that, compared TO condition,
then. brirnS with menace now.