The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-05-11
NEW NAVAL RACE THREAT
ENED
Lucy Meacham Thurston

A new naval race is threatened.
Who began it? What is back of it?
How necessary is it and where is the
common sense of the country taking
the lead? First there is fear on ac-
count of the huge sums involved,
second as to the possibility that by
time those sums are spent the type
of naval craft for which they are be-
ing spent may be becoming obsolete.
One torpedo, such as those recently
announced by the Vickers Ltd. firm
| ("With which the Air Ministry is
charmed") could destroy by one ex-
plosion the mass of steel, its ma
chinery and its men which, i'll terms
of dollars alone for it's construction
would have cost millions. And
there is the vast amount of life,
young strong manhood, involved.
1t was hoped the Washington Con-
ference of 1922 would point the
way to still further naval agreement.
The situation then was comparable
to that of today when the Pacific
situation was unsettled and tense, as
it now is again. 1t was recognized
then that as a first step basic issues
which had lead to misunderstood
in the Pacific must be adjusted. Ra-
tics agreed upon at this conference
conferred upon the three great nav
al powers supremacy in their own
spheres of influence; japanese in far
eastern waters, United States in the
American hemisphere, Great Britain
in the Mediterranean.
Naval bases in the Pacific were
not to be added to- The United
States has in the Pacific four naval
bases: Pearl Harbor (Honolulu,)
one at Samoa, at Guam, at oganpo-
Cavite. Japan in the FourPower
Pact agreed to respect their rights
in relation to insular possessions.
In the Nine Power treaty, Japan one
of the signatories, the integrity OF
China and the Open Door policy
were pledged. This political settle
ment served as sterilization infiu-
ence in the Far East and this infiu-
ence lasted for ten years. Then
came Japan's inyasions of Man
churia, the nonrecognition policy of
the United States, Japan's withdraw
al from the League-and once more
tenseness in the Pacific area. But
why?
Some sinister influence seems to
be at work whooping up possibili-
ties, dire and near at hand. In or
der to hold better cards at the con-
ference in 1885 President Roosevelt
stood behind the Vinson Bill. or so it
was said This authorized big
naval construction program. The
day the Vinson Bill was signed, fur
Their naval construction was put
upon the program by britain,
France and Japan. Two sters. Now
the third Construction of new
naval craft must be begun. Will
not this prove further unfriendli-
ness towards Japan? Will he ges-
ture of the passage of the U, S. feet
into the Atlantic and the possibility
Of new legislation in regard to Jap
anese immigration prove futile?
Will not one offset the other? And
if cancellation is to be the policy
why not cancel tenseness by friend
Illness? The United States is in
volved in an effort towards national
recovery. For this she needs vast
sums. Millions of her people need
help. Only hundreds, thousands at
the best could be helped by work in
the navy yards-why not try again
the same methods of relieving the
tenseness as those proven in 1921
%? Minds of people are full of
questions.