Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1940-06-13

get the feeling that other nations
tore up blueprints while we scrap
ped good ships.
Under this treaty, we scrapped 16
capital ships and rendered three
more unfit for wartime service. At
present prices, it will cost us more
than $3.50, 600 to rebuild the
ships we sacrificed on the altar of
peace. Not only did we wreck these
ships that were afioat, but we junk
ed IL more capital battleships that
were under construction. The Wash
ington, a monster ship, was rs per-
cent completed. We sank it in 1924
under the terms of the treaty. On
an average, the other 10 ships were
% percent completed. All of them
were sold for scrap in 1924. To
complete these vessels as far as they
were when scrapped and sunk will
cost about $3.50, 100000.
Two more vessels under construc-
ton, the Lexington and Saratoga,
were converted into aircraft car
riers. They are the same size as
stopped by the treaty.
III LOIIuOu, III lJoU, we oiSuCu dI-
other treaty which was ratified by
the senate on July 81, 1880. This
was for further limitation of naval
vessels. Under this we scrapped one
large ship, used another for mo-
bile target, and turned the Wyo-
ming into a training ship. In addi-
ton to these three capital ships, we
junked 140 destroyers, IL cruisers,
Is mine layers, and SO submarines.
Thus we must spend grand total
of $2,862, 100000 to replace the
ships we threw away under the
naval-limitation treaties of 1922
and 1880 which members of both
parties praised to the sky.
In 1896 we went in for another
treaty limiting the size of capital
ships to $4,000 tons. By this time
Japan and Italy did not like the
treaty business and did not attend
the conference. The three democra-
cies, England, France and the
United States continued to march
toward permanent peace under in
ternational law and the sanctity of
treaties.
The United States did her part,
sincerely and honestly, in every eff
fort toward better friendship among
nations. Because of our faith, we
are in serious and dangerous posi-
tion today. Let no one minimize
that fact. We must wake up and
make up for lost time.
A National Defense Board has
been established. 1t consists of some
Of the most capable people in the
Nation. They should not be ham,
pered by politics and should be Civ
Ell full power to cut governmental
red tapes where that stands between
us and national safety They should
even have power TO award contracts
on a cost-plus basis where they feel
it is necessary for speed
Our Government should continue
to encourage and cement the ma
tions of this hemisphere toward a
common objective for the preserya-
tion of free government.
We should also break down for.
eign patent monopolies that hinder
the defense program or make excess
sive the cost Of defense materials.
Pearson and Allen, in their column
OF May 81, quote the War Depart
ment as saying that the great Krupp
firm in Germany holds at
least 228 patents in America for
military equipment. To use these
patents-and we must use many of
them-the United States must pay
Germany or her American-controll-
ed firms the price they ask. To fig
ure the amount due, we must re-
port to Germany the number of
times the patents are used, and in
this way Germany knows exactly