Evening star., 1937-11-08
A Timely Warning.

Secretary Swanson could not possibly
have arranged for the release of his
annual report on the state of the Navy
to synchronize with Mussolini's procla-
nation OF the aloGerman-Japanese
alliance against Communism but
even the departments planning section
could not have devised a more timely
moment for calling attention to certain
grave conditions affecting the naval
program.
Mr.. Swanson, consistent and seasoned
apostle of adequate defense at sea that
he has been through nearly forty-flve
years of continuous public service at
Washington-in House, Senate and
Cabinet-warns Congress that national
security will be jeopardized if there is
further interruption with plans for COM
pletion of treaty fleet by 1912 Legisla-
tive concessions to demands of organ
lied labor are pilloried as having pro-
duced state of affairs that fills the
Navy Department chief with definite
apprehension" over the sea establish
ment's future. Building activities are
systematically hampered by the Walsh
Healey act requiring naval contractors
to maintain forty-hour week and pay
prevailing wages" and by the Vinson-
Trammell law, enacted in 1884, setting
f1ve-year building program. Both
measures, the Navy finds, create cir
cumstances which could perilously tie
Its hands in the event of international
emergencies.
There is no occasion, for the moment
at least, to look upon current ebullitions
at Rome as anything but a letting off
OF Fascist steam, yet they have
peculiarly timely interest for the United
States and other democratic powers.
Italy having formally announced-it was
foreshadowed by Hitler at Nuremberg
two months ago-her adhesion to the
German-Japanese so-called anti-Bolshe-
visit front, II Duce's controlled press is
promptly told off to glorify the vast
military and naval power which the
alliance represents. Virginio Gayda,
who plays first trombone in Mussolini's
propaganda orchestra, blares that 2,000,-
600 tons of warships and 100000 men
"are now at the disposal of the anti-Red
combination" The rest of the Italian
press prints grandiloquent accounts of
Japan's naval prowess, gloating that her
fleet is predominant" in the Pacific
because it could reach the Philippines in
three days, while American warships
need twenty days to get to Manila. If
Secretary Swanson were addicted to
the gentle art of ballyhoo, it is difficult
to imagine better big Navy" missionary
material than the Fascists thus hand
him on silver platter.
The Nays misgivings about handi-
capped building progress deserve the
attention of Congress and the country.
The legislation in question, the Secre-
tary points out, contains the dangers of
"inordinate delays, limited competition
and high prices" Procurement in many
lines Of essential materials-notably
steel, and in lesser degree, copper and
machine tools-has been slowed up. The
Department favors prevention of collu-
sive bidding, excessive profits, sweatshop
methods and exploitation of workers.
But Mr.. Swanson emphasizes the almost
higher necessity of guarding against
restrictions that prevent the fleet from
attaining that strength, efficiency and
up-to- -dateness" which, he properly
Bays, "this Nation has the right to expect
ind demand"
Labor, let it be remarked in passing,
has every reason to be considerate in
The imposition of working conditions.
More than eighty per cent of the cost
pf navy-building goes into wages