Evening star., 1932-02-23

ond 1taIy have materially added to
tha;- navies. so that our ratio Of naval
s+-eno+h compared to theirs has steadily
str The time will come when this feeble
naval policy of ours will be bitterly
recretted r.sc by the people of our country,
and the small temporary savings that
We shall have made on our naval estab-
1ishment will be rapidly wiped out
should we be drawn into a war that
might well have been averted had we
been properly prepared.
reward the close of the World War.
when we had half the civilized world
es our allies, we were spending as much
money to carry on the war in one
month as it would take to build up an
entirely new full treaty Navy.
No one can predict the future. APP
narentlv wars are still likely to occur.
r. other countries go to war, we should
he strong enough ourselves to keep from
becoming involved. So strong that no
country itself at war would dare to
violate our neutrality and make of us
an antagonist. Should others make
war. on us. none can foretell the align
ment that might take place.
We might have to fight alone against
the country warning upon U.s. We
might have allies, as we had in the
World War, or we might find ourselves
called upon to fight alone and depend
entirely on our own resources against
a combination of nations.
In any event, whatever form the war
might take we would be infinitely bet
ter off If prepared at the commence
ment of hostilitieS than If forced to
prolong the war until an adequate naval
force could be built up. WarshipS are
not built overnight. It Is a very easy
matter to beat swords into plowShares,
but it is a long and weary task to beat
plowshares back into swords.
Unpreparedness Held False Economy.
In these difficult times of depression,
the Congress is taking and should take
all the possible steps to economic. All
ordinary expenses Of the Government
should be cut to the bone, and this
should apply as well to expenditures for
the Army and the Navy. provided the
cut does not interfere with the
efficiency of the two services, but with
the world in its present chaotic condi-
ton, and with the apparent failure Of
all treaties to guarantee world peace,
it is inconceivable folly and no part
of real economy to fail to provide in
full measure for the national defense
of our country.
Legislation has been introduced in
both houses Of Congress authorizing
the President to build our Navy up to
the full strength of the London treaty.
H. R. 1890, the "Vinson" bill, is before
the Committee on Naval Affairs of the
House Of Representatives, and S. 81,
my own bill, Is before the Committee
on Naval Affairs Of the Senate.
The bills differ somewhat in their
scope, but both authorize the building
up of the Navy to the full limits of
the London treaty. These bills have
the whole-hearted support Of the
American Legion and of many other
patriotic societies. If other patriotic
men and women, who believe in pre-
paredness and who think that we
should maintain Navy that is capa-
BILE Of protecting our country, our
rights and our neutrality, will give
their active support to this legislation,
and will see that their Senators and
Representatives in Congress are ap-
prised of their wishes, 1t will help us
greatly to secure Navy that will ade-
quately safeguard our country.