Evening star., 1933-08-16
Naval Rivalry Among Nations
Seen as Logical Adjustment

With general recognition Of the fact
! that naval rivalry has developed, Amer
lean opinion inclines to the conclusion
| that future disarmament efforts will
take place under conditions of greater
equality among the leading nations
Present American policy is deplored in
some comments, but ma jority support
is given to the proposal that money for
increased employment in the United
States may properly be spent in reach
ing the naval strength authorized by
| treaty. Plans in England and Japan
attract attention, while national interest
here is aroused by the letting of con-
tracts for 81 new vessels
The building program" thinks the
Oakland (Calif) Tribune, lis in no
sense a gesture Of defiance or swash
buckling' for the new ships will leave
our Navy within the treaty limits -
The Rutland Herald emphasizes the
necessity for commanding respect in
any world port, as a matter of pro-
lection of our flag and our nationals"
while the Port Huron Times Herald
feels that the Nation must favor "prac-
| tical reduction or actual expansion" :"
and that no one or two nations can
ever bring about anything like disarma-
ment." The Hartford Times advises
that "the present squirt. if it may be
so called. does little more than 10 off
set the previous delay" in addition to
making jobs and assisting business"
The Yakima Daily Republic sees stern
realities as to the surety of future in
ternational conflicts" and concludes
that the best thing this administration
is doing is to plan for something like
adequate naval construction
| 1t is called 'the greatest naval build
ing program ever undertaken as a unit
in the history Of the United States"
by the Rock Island Argus, and that
paper states as to the details: 1T has
| been estimated that 18,400 men will be
directly employed for a total of O.
100000 man-work weeks on the 81
vessels. Four men in allied industries
are employed for every man directly
at work on the shipbuilding. Adding
these 73,200 men to those directly en-
ployed, total of more than 10000 men
Will be carried on pay rolls throughout
the country during the life of the work.
The Navy Department officials affirm
that IS per cent of the total cost of
a ship is spent on labor. If the whole
amount of S238,00o,O0O allocated from
the public works fund for naval pur-
poses is spent, this would mean that
| S2O2. .30O, 600 will be distributed in
wages. While raw materials are being
gathered the full benefits of the pro-
gram Will not be experienced by ship
workers for about six months How
ever, 125 contributing trades and indus
tries Will feel almost immediate benefit.
A 5-day. 40-hour week will be put into
erect at navy yards and the pay will
be. the same as at private yards
The Navy Department" records the
san Antonio Express, has assigned the
work on the 16 Warships to be built in
the navy own yards-ranging from
llght cruisers to submarines-in its
yards at Portsmouth. Boston, New York,
Philadelphia, Norfolk. Charleston, Mare
Island and Bremerton. Those vessels
to cost about 108 million dollars-will
be finished by 1886. The Government
also must provide $9,362 900 for 290
planes to be placed on the two aircraft
carriers and the four light cruisers in
cluded in the latest construction pro-
gram"
American naval expansion is not a
cause for immediate alarm" advises the
Oh Iona City Times, but it carries
mCllacing possibilities for the future"
The New Castle News contends that
ut is easy to see that America is not
bent on unduly increasing the strength
of its Navy" but that employment will
be greatly increased" The Asbury Park
Evening Press feels that with the
American Navy again second to none on
the seas, the security and diplomatic
prestige of this country will be raised
to the point where its efforts in the in
! terest Of world peace will be doubled in
strength" The Santa Monica outlook.