Show Ia I N and a HEAR around the t NATIONAL L CAPITAL By By Carter Field FAMOUS WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT admirals American American of cuu course e are nil all and on naval val aviators n hoping that Great Britain and Italy will not bt become come Involved ell In n a war war- but It but If the they do they will be watching watch watching In ing with great re Inter Interest t to see how terrific air force comes out with tile the lie superior su British navy Britain's regarded attempt regarded ns as ascertain ascertain certain If it she keeps on her present prescot course to to blockade Italy and close the Suez canal will as surely he be followed by attempts by hy the tile Italian ItalianI air force torce to bomb the British tied out of ot the water Which bleb Is highly llly Interesting to Gen Cea William Mitchell and naval aviators on the lie one hand n f a practically nil American admirals on the other they have been fi In this question of or how bow tow Important the theair air force was and primarily whether whether er a battleship can cnn live t n against nn an anair anair air attack In force Mitchells Mitchell's part In his wordy en- en encounter encounter en encounter counter Is chiefly remembered be- be because be because cause he refused to reco recognize nil ally limitations on his Ills public utterances It will be recalled recoiled that he was fiS final final Jy ly Iy court ourt and convicted In tn j after he be had bad denounced the high command as guilty of or trea son Hardly anybody could be found to agree arce with that word agreed treason whether they with willi Mitchell on 00 the Idea that bat bat- battleships battleships were obsolete or not noL But on the main points of ot tile the tight fight n a great grent aviators both army and navy agreed absolutely with Mitchell l always reco that he purposely made rondo his attacks as ns sensational nol as possIble so as ns to attract public attention Naval aviators n In particular how how- however however ever ha have e been gagged ever since by the mechanics of ot the na navys navy's s pro pro- promotion promotion motion system Every ery so 50 often a aboard aboard board of or senior officers consIders the list of ot officers of or various ranks It picks out those It considers eligi eligi- eligible eligible ble for promotion All promotions are made from this list The selection selection tion board Is changed ed every time but If It an Is la passed over twice normally be tie might just as aswell aswell aswell well give gl up He lIe will not be pro pro- promoted promoted Ills career Is ruined Why They Are Mum Now remember that virtually all the admirals believe In battleships and regard airplanes for the most part as mere adjuncts And ree re- remember re remember member that a given percentage ot of younger In any grade must be passed over In the selection proc prop processes processes esses eases And It becomes clear why very few aviation lution enthusiasts In the navy speak sneak their minds In public They cannot afford to antagonize the men who will be passing on their eligibility for promotion But hut If Ir worse norse comes to worst In the Mediterranean the ability of or the airplane and the submarine to crush the surface ships will be demon demon- demonstrated demonstrated demonstrated be beyond ond any power of or nr argument u ment meat or the ol old battleships so dear to the admirals will vindicate their faith In It It Incidentally If Ir the admirals wIn winIt It ft will be Just too ba bad for Musso Musso- Mussolini lint lini Their contention tins has alwn always s 's been that the airplane was splendid for scouting and annoying the ene ene- enemy much my-much my much as the cavalry ca used usell to be beIn bein beIn In Civil ChU war days das when Jeb Job Stuart raided all the way around the fed federal eral oral army which width was highly spec spec- spectacular spectacular and profitable In captured supplies but did dill not chall change e the character of or the lie he war nr very much After Arter everything else Is swept away In the fi fighting the lie contend the tl battleships will still he floating and still able ahle to hurl burl de- de de dealing broadsides Their masts will have been torn awn away h by bombs dropped by planes heir hulls will l be leaking In corn froni torpedoes llred by byI I submarines But nut they will still he heon heon beon on the Job and and-and and and here Is the brunt of or their argument argument argument else will If I they are right Italy will be the blockaded the Suez will be closed Mussolini will be he unable to send supplies to his A African legions It they are wrong nobody knows what the answer will be Always assum lag Ing Ing that lint In to tho the early clashes cl the tremendously superior air force crushes the British air nir force forte I Cotton a Trouble Maker Malter Cotton Is apt to produce tense I situations again anin with fears that the I United States Stairs tall'S mI may be maybe forced Into a II world war war Just us liS It liSIt dl did In the early culy days of the he WH conflict It will be he far more mitre ln than lion wheat ot for the lie simple reason that the lie United States tills this year cur has lias no wheat of ot to sell In n fact It will viii probably buy sonic front Canada Copper may Inny be maybe the Hie I he runner up to cotton as os n a trouble maker thus enough lion effecting a Q possible lion of or the West esl and South in an nn another other political alliance This Tills situation Is fur far more serious than the news newa new from froni Washington or anywhere else has bis It K Is tossed over O In the s word s In III reports from St Ont n Ill I'll and Stripped of ot diplomatic lan Ian tinge lIn e consider just t what It will mean It If France ns os Washington ex- ex expects expeels goes along with Britain in ap up- applying plying league plying league sanctions to Italy It means menns nothing else but a vir vir- virtual teal blockade of ot Italy Haly Not Just for goods declared to be contraband of war ur but hut everything c It means menna that the United States even efen In Its own ships could not nut send semI a n pound of cotton or n it piece e of or machinery or n a haslet basket of food to Naples and Genoa I It means thit thU every fery American ship traversing traversing the Mediterranean would he cro crossing n a war zone with all nil the possibilities that act net I Involves S 'S Which presents a n very fery tou tough h nut for President Roosevelt Hoose to crack croci Either n way he be moves ps means trouble either foreign or domestic Save Sa that he lie has made matle It clear fhe he tots lins no Intention of ot seeking to top put p ht r the t United States In th the o League of Nations i President ito ns sel tha lias hns s I stuck stud stuck rattler closely to the tho Woodrow Wood Wood- I IroW row roW Wilson policies Two of ot th these e were freedom of or the seas and international Inter Inter- I national operation co for the preservation rallon of or IP pence peace ce On the he last of I course Wilson was willing togo too the ther r whole hole way ny He lie opposed a senate reservation to Article X saying that article was the heart of or the be cove covenant covenant nant of or the league Article X was the one which promised that every I league member would contribute Armed forces to enforce lea league sae ue de- de decisions de decisions It Is still a n part of or the league covenant co I IMay 1 J May Have to Choose But nut the point Is that Roosevelt will be forced to choose unless the Ihl Italo situation clears up most unexpectedly between two of those policies He lIe may choose freedom of or the seas and Insist on Americas America's rl right ht to trade with Italy even It If the league proclaims n a block blockade ade under the guise of or sanctions Or he may choose operation co to preseT preserve peace The first would lead to an nn ex- ex extremely ex extremely n d dangerous erous International sit sit- situation sit situation nation It ml might ht easily Involve the United States In war Even the contention that we had hall the right to trade with Italy would put this country In a curious and Cult diplomatic hole For It rt would be contended by lea league ue members that their action would force peace very that shortly that Italy could not possibly possibly bly continue her n aggressive war It if cut blockaded cut off ofT not only from supplies from abroad but from sup sup- supplying plying her forces waln waging the war Hence that the action of ot the United States would be the one thin thing that made possible the continuance ot of the war the world Is so anxious to ton n avert vert To take the other course would cause vast resentment among those anxious to see the price of ot cotton boosted and the surplus of cotton which has been hanging over o the market since the Hoover days sold soldat soldat soldat at a profit If It this tills seems unlikely one has only to remember 1915 Great Brit Brit- Britain Britain ain put cotton on the black list She knew It ft was being used to make ex- ex explosives ex cx explosives plosives But even en before this of- of official of official act she was Interfering with shIpments So Senator poke Hoke Smith or of Geor Georgia la made a Ion long prepared speech coming er very close to demand demanding ing war against Britain on the side ot of Germany No New Taxes resident President ent I Loosevelt has hns definItely decided that there are fire to be he no new taxes until after election There are two motives for tor tim re- re recent re recent cent budget budet statement attacking ln critics and saying there Is no need for new taxes 1 I Politics The President tins has learned of or the Increasing tux tax con con- consciousness consciousness of or the ordinary citizen and of ot concern even eren by farmers as asto asto asto to where the money would be corn com corning coming ing from to finance nuance the New Den Deal lie Is also concerned about the wor wor- worry wor- wor worry worry ry of ot business over o tax prospects For example he has lias been heen told that one consideration holding hack bark in- in investment In Investment vestment In new enterprises Is the play safe attitude of or rich men who are not willing to gamble when the government promises to take so solar lar large c a proportion of or the profit It thy they win but does not help on nn losses If Ir they lose Illse Change e In the Income tax laws which permit de de- deduction Auction of ot only S OO for net losses In one year Car Is part of ot this 2 Soldier Bonus The resident President laid great emphasis on on the point that tills this happy situation of ot no nn more I taxes taxes de despite gloomy prophesies by critics s can cnn be bo only If Ir ther there tire lire no new expenditures He lie was hitting directly nt at the soldier bonus honus and II nt at t courts which will pass on the processing taxes I He Ile can cnn play both reasons at nt the I same time In January when the honus comes up In congress by its its- us liS using III lug ing the tax consciousness of ot the pen peo 1 people en- en I pie Ille as ns an argument to 10 congress not notto in 10 override his certain veto of or bOllus legislation leisla I resent Present study of or the available n n fig fig- fig I tired ures Indicates that lint the President Is holding out out out- about half hair a billion I 11 a rs which twitch will he be unused on 1 luly 1 next nest and ancl us its congress 8 pr t for the be lie n of r the ir dollar fund for turn IheI I years ars this half billion ran can hp he I used III II In the fiscal year clr beginning on vu that elate date 1 Copyright 1 j 1 |