The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-08-26
sATuRDAY. 40 q. ~
FOREIGN NAVY PROPAGANDA

AOILlGN NAV IROI AGANDA
THE anticipated naval propaganda from
abroad has begun According TO London
and Tokia dispatches. the peace-loyng British
and japanese governments are forced 70
enlarge their navies to keep up with the
Roosevelt building program.
No one Will take that sort of propaganda
very seriously outside Of Britain and Japan.
but to keep the record straight it perhaps is
worth while 70 repeat that the Roosevelt
building program is under the quota agreed to
by the London and Toxic governments. and
that the Roosevelt program was launched not
before but long after those foreign powers
had been building new ships
Hector C. Bywater generally recognized as
the leading British naval writer, in Daily
Telegraph of London article predicting a
British building program Of twenty-five
cruisers, fifteen to eighteen new destroyers
annually and other naval units in proportion,
says
Little hope now remains that naval
ornaments can be graduated by treaties The
sole effect Of these 10 date has been TO
emascuate the British navy and rejuvenate
all the other fleets. II is felt indeed. that the
latest American and Japanese programs have
administered death-blow TO naval limitation
by agreement"
There are several adequate answers to the
foreign charge that the United States is
wrecking the hopes OF disarmament But we
can pass over the pertinent facts that the
bring the American navy up to the treaty
quota and that congress specifically provided
in the building authorization for suspension Of
construction in event OF a new limitation
treaty
We even can ignore the vital fact that the
United States for ten years has urged and
urged in vain the foreign powers to accept any
kind of actual disarmament.
Forget all the past and the mutual jockey
ing Of the naval powers for position, discount
all the big navy propaganda In all countries
including the United States and Judge the
United States and the other powers solely on
the basis Of present policy
The United States government has made
standing offer to dsarm by agreement as
much as any other nation at any time That
is the test. Disarmament is not a matter Of
talk. but Of action.
Disarmament admits OF no alibl II the
other nations sincerely want Joint naval
reduction, they have only to accept our offer
1t is significant that America has been most
anxious for disarmament to avoid a naval race.
which America, as the worlds richest nation
probably could win But Americas pleas for
ten years have failed. What more can
America do?
America can not force disarmament upon
the other powers by talk America can not
even force arms limitation on the other powers
by example; when we refrained from building
Up TO our treaty quota. the others ignored our
example and went on building
Doubtless the large navy policies Of the
other powers are dictated less by outright
mtarism than by fears resulting from the
temporary breakdown OF the worlds peace
machinery
Here is opportunity for the peace groups
of this and other countries. Their leadership
is waning
Obviously the cause Of world peace is being
retarded by the inability Of peace proponents
10 get together on a common program In
this country as in others, one group still has
faith in and desires to work through a
revitalized League Of Nations.
Another group believes that virtually all
peace moves since the Great war have been
along the wrong lines and should be junked
Meanwhile the desire for peace. the dread
OF war. grows among the people. The people
want TO work for peace. 10 make their efforts
count but they do not know how.
The time has come for peace organizations
here and abroad to rise above their petty
squabbles to get together in a united front
against the forces of world Chauvtnisrn and
militarism.
Such united front for peace would not
only deserve but would receive, the active
cooperation of the United States government