The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-01-18


France gained everything
and we, who financed the war
and are the only people to pay
our debts honorably, lost
everything except a few colo
MES which we really did not
need" the British say.
"We have burden of war debts,
which has crippled us industrially
and financially, and, btterest blow
Of all to our pride and prestige,
forced us off the gold standard. We
blame that all on the war So we
say, Never again'"
Although the British say this,
they are at present pouring out
more money than any nation in
Europe on ornaments.
Size of Fleets Worry
With an annual budget for the
army. navy and air force of approx
mately S55 100000, the national gov
eminent headed by the Socialist
premier, Ramsay Macdonald, is
keeping the big ornaments firms
busy turning out war material
Before 1914, the fear which was
in the heart of every man, woman
and child in the United Kingdom
was the ominous might, growing
wear by year, Of the German High
Seas Fleet.
But the German navy has been
swept from the oceans.
Why, then, does Britain go on
building more warships? If the
British never will fight in con-
tinental war again, whom do they
fear?
Britain's main pre-occupation at
the moment is the size of the Medi-
terranean fleets of France and Italy.
At the time of the London naval
conference in 1880, Great Britain
showed her willingness for naval
disarmament by agreeing to scale
down her building program on a
basis accepted by the other powers.
OdU htdCu Agreement
The British government, however,
inserted an escalator clause, where
under she had the right to avail
herself of additional tonnage in the
vent of France and Italy not i'm
ementing the agreement.
~ance and Italy have not yet
ed agreement. They have been
g for over two years and
awhile, France has made a ges-
.e which seems ominous to Brit |
ish by ordering the $4,000 ton /
cruiser Dunkerke.
The British have not yet an
nounced their intention to fall back
on the escalator clause, hoping that /
either Washington or Londons me-
diation will bring the two Latin ma
tionS together in restricting their
navies and so removing the menace
to the British fleet in the Mediter-
ranean.
Thinking of Colonies
With her eyes on the Mediter-
ranean, Britain is thinking of the
safety of her communication with
her colonies, of Gibraltar, Malta and
Suez.
AT one time Britain's naval fears
extended to the far east, where
Japanese had taken enormous
strides, but this had been diSSipated
by the Washington and London
agreements. England'S apprehen-
sion, therefore, comes mainly from
the continental powers.
Among a section of the British
conservatives there is strong sup
port of the French thesis of main
tanning the present armed state of
Europe until more effective guar
antees of peace are forthcoming.
Wants Treaty Revision
Winston Churchill believes that
France. as the head of a great SyS-
tenn of states relying for their safety
on the existing peace treaties, is
really Europe's protector.
AdherentS to this viewpoint in
Britain believe that instead of
pressing for disarmament at the
present time, the nations of Europe
should work towards eradication of
the injuStices under which the van
pushed nations are laboring. This
means revision of the Versailles
treaty.
Thus the interminable argument
goes on, with each nation accusing
or suSpecting another while Ger*r~
seeks by every avenue to find a COM
promise
Hope Lies in L. $.
AS strong supporters Of the Lea
que of Nations, Britain believes thai
compounds yet will be achieved. In
aiming for that goal, the British
government relies greatly upon the
aid of the United States, and CRATE
fully recognizes the part unofficial
American media ion has played. me-
diation which London believes final
ly will SettleSvhe france Italy naval
squabble.