THE AMERICAN NAVY.

Evening Star, Issue 19804, 1 March 1928, Page 6

THE AMERICAN NAVY.

The great now American navy which was causing alarm to the peace makers has been wrecked at tho entrance to Congress. Mr, Wilbur’s programme provided for the construction of twenty-five large cruisers, thirty-two submarines, and supplementaries making a total of seventy-one vessels, all to be laid dojvn within.five years. It has been cut down to a programme of fifteen cruisers and one aircraft carrier. Tho estimated cost of it has been reduced from 740,000,000 to 274,500,000 dollars. The result will be a shock to Mr Wilbur, whose administration of the navy had been previously much exposed to criticism owing to the frequency of submarine disasters, ft will he a shock to all tho “big navy” men in America. It recalls tho king who counted his ships by thousands at daybreak from tho brow' of sea-born Salamis, and *' when tho sun set where were they?”. If reports from Washington have not belied his feelings, Mr Coolidgo will not he pleased with this destruction, wrought by the House Naval Committee. The programme which the committee thinks sufficient wdll accord much more naturally, however, with the next proposals which an American President may be moved to make for international limitation of naval armaments, and with the proposals which the American Government is at present pressing upon France for a treaty that would be renunciatory of war. In that matter France and most of the other nations of tho world have already gone a little further than America. Their renunciation ot aggressive warfare as a policy has been expressed through the Covenant of the League of Nations and by the resolution which was passed at its Assembly meeting of last year. Unfortunately there remain the difficulty that war is not necessarily prevented by pious affirmations and the difficulty of defining aggressive war. By whatever means the cause ol peace may be best forwarded, it is not forwarder! by the building of excessive navies; It is to the credit of America that, from tho moment of its first suggestion, there was widespread hostility there to Mr Wilbur’s grandiose natal programme. Senator Borah, who is very much an American, was among the foremost in denouncing it. Leaders of peace, religious, and church organisations, and a great part ol tho liess, protested against it when and before it was sent to run the gauntlet of the House Committee. British criticism was reserved, for sound reasons of policy, but a cartoon by Bernard Partridge' in ‘Punch’ deserved to rank with tho best comments on international events which have appeared in the great history of that journal. President Coolidgo was shown pointing to a blackboard with one hand, while a book of “ copy-hook maxims ” rested near tho other. On the blackboard was written, in large letters, “ We lead the world in (1) Wmalth; (2) Generosity; (3) Humility; (4) Love of Peace.” The President was represented as asking; “And what is tho logical conclusion from this, my friends ? Obviously it is that wo must build more warships.” A sub-lino gave the comment of the American dove—“ Cock-doodle-doo I ’’—and directed attention to a dove standing on a globe beneath tho blackboard, straining its throat in an endeavor to be the most, clamorous kind of rooster. There was not a trace of malice in the cartoon, and it hit off tho position perfectly. The New York ‘ Outlook ’ reprinted it, full page size, evidently in complete sympathy with its comment. Tho House Committee has not left much of the extravagant programme. Tho dove has returned to its proper nature. President Coolidgo, whoso desire for the-whole addition of seventy-one vessels, in view of all his disarmament professions, has been most incomprehensible, makes the best of his disappointment. The nations will not find anything immoderate or provocative, he says, in tho diminished programme, and with that Great Britain agrees.