The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1928. IS IT PEACE.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 February 1928, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1928. IS IT PEACE .

The “Big Navy’’ programme outlined in President Coolidge’s Message to Congress, and the subsequent Naval Bill, continues to engage public attention in America. Congress just now is considering the first part of the warship construction programme, which is supposed to entail an outlay of £llß.000,(XX). But it is hardly necessary to point out that this covers only the beginning of the scheme, which is estimated to cost £200.000,000 within a few years and something like £600,(XX),000 l>eforo its final completion. These portentous figures are quite enough to explain and justify the agitation aroused in America by the Government’s sudden and unexpected desertion of the policy of naval reduction inaugurated at the Washington Conference five years ago. A formal protest has been made to Congress against the “Big Navy” project by a delegation representing the Church

Peace Union and the World Alliance for International Friendship. l)r Hull, who headed the deputation, is connected with Swartlimore College, an institution closely associated with the Satiety of Friends and with the S"artlimore Press through which Lowes Dickenson, Gooch and other internalionalists aud pacifists have endeavoured to promote peace. lie maintains that the danger of the “Dig Navy" lies ill the spirit of aggression that it arouses, ami he told tile NaVsd Comm it tee of the House of Hepi'eselitllt ives that “hatred for the people of Britain” is already blazed up throughout the I’nitcd States “under the stimulus of this naval proposition.” Dr Hull, of course, | assumes, with many other internationalists, that the mere existence of armaments, military or iinVal, is in itself a dire. t incentive to war. Wo cannot accept this theory with all its implications, says the Auckland Star, hut it must ho admitted that the case of a country which has already adopted all aggressive policy or is actuated by definite hostility towards other States, the existence of strong armies and navies may be inimical to the world s peace. Unfortunately in the United States there can he little doubt that there is latent, if not already in active operation, a strong feeling of dislike land distrust for at least two foreign Powers—Japan and Britain. In spite of a natural desire on the part of statesmen and philanthropists to perpetuate the consciousness of a common origin and racial kinship, it is to be fenr'c-cl that the general altitude of the great majority of Americans towards Britain is hostile rather than friendly. Those who think otherwise apparently take their impressions from New York and Boston and the leading newspapers of the Eastern States. But. as -Air 'Wickham Steed and Air Alaxso have lately reminded the* British nation. Englishmen are virtually foreigners in America and they arc* almost entirely ignorant of American ways of thought. prejudices. and points of view. .Moreover, bcTwecn the East, on the one hand, and the* .Middle West, and Pacific* Coast on the cither, then* is a great gull fixed which the Americans themselves have not yet su**c essCully bridged: and the extravagances of “Big Bill" Thompson in Chicago arc an ominous indication of wluit American Anglophobia may under favourable conditions lieeoiiK*. To put the l case as briefly as possible, if the Americans were really friendly to Britain the "Big Navy” would not matter. But though Mr fuolidge certainly has no idea of attacking Britain, 11 10 existence of such a navy as ho contemplates might easily, under stress of c ircunislanecs. become a dangerous menace to international friendship and peace.