U.S.A. NAVY

Hokitika Guardian, 22 December 1924, Page 2

U.S.A. NAVY

AUBI KALIAN AND N.Z. CAULS ASSOCIATION. TIIE PACIFIC AIANOKL'VBES. appropriation rill passed. WASHINGTON, December 19. The Federal House lias passed tbe Naval Appropriation Bill carrying nearly tlnee hundred million dollars. The plan for the American Fleet to manoeuvre off Hawaii next year was attacked by Representative George Huddleston, of Alabama, as being tactless and inadvisable in view of the present state of public opinion in the I'nited States and Japan. BR IT TEN'S ATTITCDE CONDEMNED. NEW YORK, December 19. Tbe newspapers continue with one voice to praise Air Hughes (Secretary of State) for bis appreciation of AI. Alatsudaira (the new Japanese Ambassador). They practically unite in denouncing Representative Britten’s jingoism. The "Herald Tribune" points out that “ before tbe Washington Conference. an alarming situation did exist, which, however, was cleared up bv the friendly co-operation of the two parties. Americans will welcome Al. .Matsudinrn's appointment to the Ambassadorship to the United States. 1 hey consider a Pacific compact highly desirable, with an international agreement in the maintenance of which both American and Japanese interests converge. Therefore, no time could have been less fitting for Air Britten’s tactless hysterical proposal.” The "World" declares: "The theory underlying Mr Britten’s white man’s conference is tlu? Pacific Ocean is a white man’s lake, and that the millions of yellow races are outsiders. Fortunately Air Britten is quite alone in his efforts to hack the other side ol the Pacific.” Even other Pacific Const Congressmen are condemning Air Britton’s altitude. ADMIRAL UNDER FIRE. ’Received this day at, 8 a.m.) AY.ASIIINGTOX. December 19. The rescript of further testimony hy Secretary Wilbur and Admiral Eherle before the House Appropriations Committee has 1)01*11 obtained by the Australian Press Association. The committee, in view of President Cooliilge's known opposition to the recent Congressional endeavours to encourage extensive naval increases, plied two officials with numerous questions in order to determine the exact character of tbe Hawaiian manoeuvres and tbe exact advantages to be gained therefrom, and the fear was even inforentially expressed concerning the deterioration resulting from the naval units undertaking such a lung trip. Emphasis was also placed on the effect thereof upon international opinon. Representative French asked what would probably be the most ambitious programme over attempted by the 1 nitcil States, and Admiral F.herlc replied: “This is somewhat the longest in the four years in which we have been having manoeuvres.' Representative French then commented that Britain did not usually make such extensive tests. Admiral Eherle replied hy citing the recent British world tour which was many times longer than was contemplated hy the American voyage to Australasia. pointing out that the British thereby derived wonderful results in the training of the ciew.-r. Representative French: ‘‘That was the thought in my mind: namely, the extent of the American cruise and its advantages.” Admiral Eherle encountered hy pointing out that in the last three years the Pacific Fleet, during manoeuvres, was praciicall.v under way the same number of days as those I’l'njectcd for 1921. Hut the 1921 manoeuvres implied the benefits of continued straightaway cruising for all kinds of training, such as running without lights, moving in formations. that are possible only in long straightaway cruises.

Representative French said : “In that same connection there is this other thought: There are benefits to the personnel, also to the machinery, from some use; hut, is there a point beyond which you can overdo it; beyond which you are really wearing out your ship's machinery and so on. that we should consider; or (hies this improve it Admiral FJ <wlo : “The liiadliinery after one of these cruises is in belter shape than when the ships start. A long cruise gives experience to the personnel in the running of the machinery, economizing fuel and operating under a sieadv load day and night as you would have to do in war time. You have a chance on a long cruise to straighten out wrinkles and for steady improvement which you do not discover and cannot have by operating for short peroids.” Secretary 'Wilbur: ‘T am going to ask the Admiral whether the boilers are deteriorated move hy use that way. ’ Admiral F.herle: “I do not think so. Tf the boilers are in good condition when they start and are overhauled at regular intervals. I think steady steaming and keeping the same steam pressure and getting the men used to maintaining this on a long cruise, is better for the boilers than simply taking short sports when they want to force them.” Representative Taherfc then turned to Admiral Kberle and asked: “II you follow that programme would not the Heel I;*' manoeuvring for almost six months Admiral F.herle replied: “They sail from San Francisco in April and return home in September.” Representative French now asked Mr M’ilbiir: “Roes the question, as it stands, point to goodwill among the nations, and the friendly feeling of other nations towards the I’nitod States?”

Mr M’illnir: “First let me say I ban not conferred with the State Depart incut in the matter at all. Me liav< had inquiries from the State Department whether we were going to Australia. and we replied that it depends upon the action of Congress in the matter of aopropriatioiis. There has Im-ci great interest in this proposed tri| among the Australian people, and we get that feeling through the newspapers’ requests for information and through their eoiiinuTi-i.nl agents.” M’AXHIXGTOX. December 20.

Gradually the working through of the various phases of the discussion on the question of the preparedness and modernity of the American Navy, including the advisahleue.ss of the Hniwainn manoeuvres and the Australian vsit. has become the outstanding problem facing tin; Fnited .States Government. It lias become a raging topic of dispute in M'asbington and lias assumed the most prominent news proportions of any question since the Japanese Exclusion controversy the echo of which still reverberates. 11l the present clash over the Navy (senator Rrittcn for 3 days has kept Congress.ip continuous uproar with his agitation over which quickly mustered opponents and proponents came nearly to open blows. Hi the House of Representatives to-day and yesterday they fought hit tori v over the advisableness of approaching the naval question in any manner in which the Japs feeling might be slighted. M'ingo and Rathboiic took sides while Representative Huddleston reiterated : '‘The Japanese know that the only imaginary enemy we could

possibly have would he the Japanese Fleet and Japan is an imaginary enemy against which we are defending Hawaii. It seems strange that anyone who knows enough to have produced a decision to hold the manoeuvres there dill not know enough of international affairs to recognise the impropriety of it.” Air Rathboue’s rejoinder was that .Japan had been holding recent manoeuvres while AVingo abruptly orderoil the newspapers and Congress to keep their mouths shut and permit Air Hughes (Sec. for State), and President Coolidge to conduct the foreign relations of the country. COAIPMCATI NO SITUATIONS. WASHINGTON. December 21. Representative Britten, after reiterating America’s right to conduct manoeuvres wherever she wished, introduced various resolutions made for the White Conference (cabled lGtli. Dee.). One was for an'inquiry to determino whether the Navy had fallen below the 5-5-3 ratio and another providing for an extra appropriation of 101 million dollars for the special modernisation of the ileet, including more aircraft carriers, gun elevation, new boilers, scout cruisers etc. Meantime the Senate’s action upon the three hundred million dollars supply Bill, which includes the manoeuvres and Ileet visit outlay, is eagerly awaited. President Coolidge is apparently extremely disturbed over tbe navy agitation and be lias taken several important steps, including an admonition of tbe increasing American naval inferiority and a public assurance that the American Navy is competent and not inferior. A gesture of friendliness was ordered to olfset Representative llrittin's moves, namely, an official welcome by the State Department to the new .Tajiano.se Ambassador, Alatsndaiia, and an invitation to Japan to send a visiting Ileet to American ports, which, ajiparcntly Japan -has accepted arrival of. A note from Britain concerning the American project to increase her gun elevation lias further complicated the situation. Representative Britton again introducing a resolution requesting Mr AYilbur to give the House information concerning any foreign power’s objections to the gun elevation. Another coinnlientiiig aspect was introduced bv the alleged statement by Baron Kato in Tokyo that Japan had unofficially declined the American offer to send a Ileet on a courtesy visit to Japanese ports, but tbe Washington authorities declined to comment thereon and now Baron ShiileJiara (the now Ambassador) denies that any such offer’was made or that Baron Kato made such a statement. The Senate, which Ims hotherto np= paroutly remained silent over the vauous controversies, now had entered tho arena over the gun elevation aspect and probably will join tbe House m asking for information from Air AA ilTlie press, meantime, is actively taking sides. Such newspapers ns the New York ‘‘Times” insist that the manoeuvres are America’s right and only figments of the imagination could ascribe them to unfriendliness towards Tbe'Radical weekly, “The Nation”, and tbe St Louis “Post". "Dispatch’, and others contend that, irrespective c. f America's right to hold manoeuvres, it would he unwise to give as fuel to the Japanese Jingoes some inkling concerning the controversy, which can he gained concerning the extent of the controversv when it. is mentioned that responsible Washington correspondents a.rrce that Cabinet itself is seriously divided over the merits of the various questions, and. it would not be solarising should Air Wilbur, who belongs to the larger navy group, resign as the result of his differences of opinion with President Coclid'ge. I l , his possibility is denied, but it is incontrovertible that an actual demarkation of opinion exists in the administration.