Evening star., 1933-03-19
MORE SHIPS; FEWER YARDS
URGEDBY .JAHNCKEFORU.S S.
Former Assistant Secretary Says Some
Centers on Atlantic Coast Are
White Elephants.

, the Eastern yards were built our CEN
ter of population was on the Atlantic
Seaboard and our business, commerce
and international contacts were mostly
with Europe.
World conditions have changed. The
Atlantic is a fairly stable sea. The
Caribbean bids fair to remain at status
quo for some time. There Is no con-
| troversy over the provisions Of the Mon
roe Doctrine The major commercial
battles are now being fought in the
Pacific. The Washington treaty had as
one major purpose an attempt to make
well as name.
No one can predict the final outcome
of the wars and revolutions and whole
sale banditry which ravage the Far
East That they will be factor IN
determining the outcome Of the eco
nomic rivalry and struggle for world
markets cannot be doubted.
For this and other reasons, the need
for a virtual concentration Of navy yards
on our Atlantic Seaboard has ceased to
exist In my considered judgment every
navy yard not on the Pacific Coast, with
the exception Of those at Philadelphia,
Washington, Norfolk and New York,
should be decommisSioned Immediately.
include Washington only because it Is
the naval gun factory rather than
navy yard within the definition OF the
word as applied to Philadelphia, Norfolk
two yards on the Pacific Coast, this ac-
ton would leave the Navy with only five
real navy yards, three on the East Coast
and two on the West.
Exists for Protection.
The Navy exists solely that the citi-
zens who pay for it shall have the night
to live in peace and security. to trade
where and with whom they Will. The
taxpayers have every reason to demand
that their funds be spent wisely and ef-
fectively Present economic conditions
furnish an added reason why the coun-
try cannot afford the luxury Of main
tanning navy yards and stations which
responsible naval officers would be only
too glad to do without.
Every dollar expended in useless or
unwarranted activities could be prof1t-
ably employed in maintaining a navy
adequate in men and material.
Except for the action taken by the
United States at the conference to
limit armaments, held in washington
some II years ago, our country would
have had unquestioned naval suprem-
dCy. we tldOCQ oIApo AOA OAuS - ~AASS
as magnificent gesture in the hope
that our costly self-sacrifice would bring
peace to a war-exhausted world. We
have lived up to the spirit and the let.
ter of that treaty Pursuing our ideal
of peace and good will toward all, our
Navy has gradually and surely retro
gressed from potential supremacy. We
are recognized by the world as a non
aggressive nation. It should not be
necessary to scrap our fleet to convince
our neighbors of our peaceful inten-
tions. And yet we seem embarked on
that course. Today our Navy, based on
the standards Of foreign countries, is
not only inadequate but In some re-
have built and are continuing to build
ships, we have been content to fall far
behind the terms of the London treaty.
Our ships are growing old. Few re-
placements are In prospect In the not
too distant future our right to trade in
peace and security in the far-f1ung
corners Of the world may be seriously
challenged.
Urges Treaty Navy.
The Washington and London treaties
were designed in the interest Of peace
and largely written by the worlds fore
most advocates of peace. Surely the
United States could build up to the
terms of these treaties without being
justifiably accused of militarism, yet at
the same time insure the safety Of our
shores.
Nor does the economic situation pre-
sent any formidable barrier to such a
policy. The elimination of non-essen-
tial activities such as the yards previ-
ously mentioned would release consid-
cradle furds to be applied toward this
end. Extensive public works programs
have been instituted to assist the job
less. A man-of-war is a public work,
too. It is public vessel just as much
the property of the United States as is
any post Office or any other Federal
building.
Something more than 80 per cent Of
the cost of battleship reverts to labor,
and the diversity Of types Of labor and
of materials Is manifold. The funds
spent are spread over many trades and
many localities. No matter how jealous
and able are our officers and men, no
matter how great the loyalty and ef1-
cheney Of the civil personnel, no matter
how earnest and intelligent is the Sec
retary of the Navy, only the Congress,
whose constitutional duty it Is to pro-
vide for the national security, can
remedy the defects which now exist
and provide those in the service who are
willing and eager with the means to
build up Navy that literally will be
second to none.