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Hokitika Guardian, 7 February 1928, Page 2

"Whatever may be said to the contrary, says a North Island paper, there can bp no doubt vhateyer that

America’s action in seeking to build a great liavv i- very dist-iiCing. What has America to tear? Certainly not the British Empire. Ceilaiuly not Prance, or Germany, or Italy. And a> lor Japan, her strength compared to the I'.S. Navy is as live to three. Why, then, is America, going to spend £ I liO.oliil.iKlO on new ships ot war. There is only one possible answer, which is ibis, that while there tiro many in I'.S.A. who do not believe ill this new and vast, naval policy, there an- many who do. There is a Mililarisl party in Vmeriea, and its inilnencr i-. v< r\ powerful. There is ■nine talk ol America postponing her building programme, hut the fact that it ua.s determined on, that the President mid Cabinet approved of it. was quite ominous. If history teaches one lesson more than any other it is that large armaments lead to war. And America’s spirit and mighty preparations are not the best guarantee for world peace. We hope our on n country will never become embroiled in another conflict, either in the Hast or the West, hut if war at some future date broke out between I'.S.A. and some other first-class Power, it. might a diflictilt to confine the conflict to them. Apart altogether from any speculations about the future, it may la* asked again, why is America determined to add so enormously to her navy? There is no justification for such policy. It is quite unnecessary, and is. therefore, most regrettable from any viewpoint.