Evening star., 1933-10-20
NAVY LEAGUE CITES
BRITISH OPPOSITION
Unofficial Letter Holds An
tagonism to U. S. Policy Will.
Block Cooperation.

BY the Associated Press.
81; The British Navy League in London
was scheduled to receive today a pro-
nouncement by the unoflcial Navy
League of the United States assert
ing that continued antagoniSm by Great
Britain to Americas naval building
policy would block an absolutely essen
tial" co-operation between the two ma
tions.
This letter, made public last night,
was signed by N. M. Hubbard, jr., the
new president of the Navy League here,
which maintains national headquarters
at 1749 street. Officially, the Navy
League here has no standing, but it is
private group of citizens interested in
the service. including on its roster many
former naval officers.
Conflict of Arms Visioned.
'While the world is slowly emerging
from the economic cataclysm result
ing from the late war" the letter said,
''many informed and experienced OBJ
servers believe that it is swiftly moving
toward a supreme conflict of arms in
volving the existence of governmental
control and our present civilization.
wise statesmen, both in the United
States and in Great Britain, have from
time to time expressed the hope and
need for closer understanding be-
tween the two countries in order to
withstand and possibly avert such un-
toward results"
The public mind in the United States,
1t said, has been in process OF 'ad-
justing itself to the propriety and ne
cessity of such basis of co-opera-
ton in behalf of the preser-
vation of democratic forms of govern
ment and the maintenance of the pres
ent world status of the white races"
1t added that this statement by no
means implied a combatant participa-
ton by the United States lin the Euro
paan war thought to be imminent"
Outlines Change in Sentiment.
Referring again to public sentiment
c. the question of Anglo-American CO.
operation, the letter continued:
Unfortunately the trend Of public
sentiment in this country towards such
an understanding has been checked, we
believe. by the implications of British
demands and suggestions in respect to
our naval requirements, in order to at
tain that parity of sea strength to
which this nation is unquestionably
entitled"
Saying it was impelled by "the
friendliest of motives" the League then
outlined what it considered the basis
for this change in sentiment"
Reviewing the Washington Naval
Conference. the letter said the United
States had sunk" its supremacy in
capital ships and voluntarily restored
control of the sea to the British navy
and in renouncing its rights Ito ade-
quate naval bases in the far Pacific
it had denied to its fleet the ability
to operate in waters where it has large
commitments and important interests.
While these sacrifices" it asserted
ga = were inspired by altruistic mo-
tives they have seemingly brought
no corresponding spirit of concession
by other nations towards U.S."
Cite Opposition at Conferences.
and at the London Conference in 1880.
the letter continued, there developed
united opposition to the securement" of
parity with Great Britain and preserva-
ton of the feet ratio with Japan estab-
lished at the Washington Conference.
Referring to the Anglo-American
agreement on naval strength at the
London Conference, the letter said "our
overwhelming desire to contribute to
world peace overcame due consideration
of national safety and induced our dele
cation to aquiesce in the British and
Japanese demands. ="
Of the recent note to the United
States from Sir John Simon. the British
foreign minister, advising the United
States its building program nigh in
duce naval building race, the letter
said:
Either to assume that Sir John ex-
pected his advice should be followed,
or to assume that he had formed very
low opinion of the delegates OF our
present administration. would be to i'm
pugn Sir Johns Unquestioned abilities;
SO We are forced to construe his note
as the opening gun in a British cam
paign of propaganda in America for q
decrease in the tonnages of capital