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Show The Face of Figures Whether prompted by consideration of economy or not, President Coolidge is right in his repeated denunciation of anything like competitive navy building. Being close to the source of the howling for unlimited building of cruisers, he, probably, recognizes the same as "bunk", largely promoted by parties interested in national investment in war supplies. Undoubtedly, the pressure upon him by makers of explosives and armor, his partisan political supporters, is direct and heavy. Of course, the 5-5-3 ratio of the Washington conference of 1!)2 is shot to pieces, as the big navy proponents claim. The figures on 10,000-ton cruisers run like this: No. Built or Building Tons Great Britain 54 332,290 Japan 25 150,205 U. s 16 ' 125,000 Figures on paper may not lie; but, neither do they tell the whole truth. Taking the foregoing figures at their face value, one mav easily figure out a' most distressing American proportion. But, the British and American ends of the ratio will total 00 cruisers of 457,290 tons. There will be no British-American war; and, there will be a white man's combination, when the Oriental makes war on white man's civilization. ,.,,. i But, American promoters of budding for war have a vn-v lirccious scare-crow in the war building prosecuted since the Washington conference of 1922, the figures ot which are these, including the three cruisers over which Con-ircss Con-ircss and the president are at loggerheads: No,, of warships. Tons Great Britain 37 285,975 7.uyin 101 339,201 UPs 16 120,909 British-American 53 ships, 406,884 tons. Japan far surpassed, sur-passed, once more, in tonnage but having built a larger number num-ber of the smaller craft. However, to further allay fear and trembling, it is well to consider another ratio, one which cannot be disarmed the money powers, for which the ratio may be fairly put on paper thus: - Great BnUnn - I 10.00 United States Japan . IMoncy is the real power. This money ratio signifies tr-mendous American superiority in that most important brinch of war service the air forces. She can build a hundred hun-dred thousand fighting and bombing planes while any nation on earth is building one 10,000-ton cruiser; and, the same is relatively true as to submarines. Alter all the reliable ratio as to the national martial strength must be based upon national latent powers money in hand, enterprise, energy, organization, efficiency. We naVCIniia present attitude, Mr. Coolidge expresses his well known coolness, in refusing to become excited oVer the pro- . ,(usai to lay in--a- stock. oL. heavy ..underclothes in early July, 1 1 figuratively speaking. |