The Sun WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1927. ROUNDING OUT A NAVY

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 227, 14 December 1927, Page 8

The Sun WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1927. ROUNDING OUT A NAVY

A FEW months ago, Rear-Admiral Thomas P. Magruder, who was second in command of the U.S. naval forces in European waters during the World War, fired a broadside of high-explosive criticism at the Navy Department of his country. One of the gallant sailor's hottest shots was this: “The truth is that the Navy is spending money like hell and getting little for it. It is spending three hundred million dollars, and getting two hundred million dollars worth of Navy.” There was much diversity of American opinion at the time as to whether the pungent criticism was (t:o quote Admiral Magruder’s virile phraseology again) the “plain, unvarnished God’s truth,” but whatever the merits of the attack on the Navy Department may have been in reality, there is no doubt now as to the effect of it on American politicians. They intend to keep' on “spending money like hell” on the Navy, but mean to get a lot for it. It is reported unofficially from Washington to-day that the Comiyander-in-Chief of the U.S. Navy, who happens also to be President, has approved a five-years’ naval construction programme. involving an estimated expenditure of £200,000,000. This, in American computation, is what has been called “the billion-dollar response to Great Britain’s determination to rule the seas as Britannia has always done.” The prospective programme makes provision for the construction of 26 cruisers of the 10.000-ton type, each to cost about £3,000.000. airplane carriers, five fleet submarines, IS destroyers, and four new battleships for replacements four years hence as permitted by the Washington Naval Disarmament Treaty. Of course, it has to be understood that the spirit of aggression is not at the back of the formidable scale of naval construction. It is stated that Mr. Coolidge, who has no rival in the political art of facing both ways at once and speaking with two voices, is. convinced that the programme merely represents America’s own needs for the rounding out of her Navy-—a necessity which, it is argued naively, should not cause other nations to enter into competition. Tt is true that, even with the construction of 26 additional cruisers, the cruiser strength of the U.S. Navy would still be far below the array of British cruisers. The present relative cruiser strength of the three Powers for whom the 5—5—3 ratio in respect of battleships has been urged for cruisers also, is (including modern cruisers built, building and already authorised) :

Against the numerically meagre cruiser strength of the U S. Navy must he set, however, the fact that Great Britain has 1o protect the 180,000,000 miles of ocean-trade routes of her wide Empire. It is quite beyond argument that every nation has the right, if it can afford it, to have an adequate navy, but there is no reason or right in confusing adequacy with arrogant pride. It is difficult not to believe that an excess of prosperity and wealth has given America a love of great possessions. Hence the irony of President Coolidge taking the lead in urging and inaugurating conferences at Geneva for the purpose of discussing the advice to the rich young man to sell or scrap all that he had.

So far as America is concerned the immediate result of the failure of the recent tripartite conference at Geneva is the determination of the United States to have a bigger navy than ever. The Coolidge policy appears to be a dual purpose : To go summer cruising at Geneva for naval limitation and, in winter at Washington, “to spend money like hell” on getting a bigger navy. It is a pity that, idealism for world peace should be marred so much by the hypocrisy of materialism.

Number Toil nape. BRITAIN . . 64 387,410 JAPAN 38 247,665 UNITED STATES . . 18 155,000