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Show ISEEN ISEENand , SEEN 'SEEN 'SEENand ' and HEARI HEAR HEARIQrouncf HEARaroundtbe Qrouncf around aroundtbe tfie the theNATIONAL tfieNATIONAL t } p . NATIONAL CAPITAL CAPITALB ; t : ' By B By , , Carter Field Feld F FieldFAMOUS eld eldFAMOUS FAMOUS WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT Washiri Washington WasllInton . ; , ton tonAmerican -American American - American admirals admiralsnnd admiralsand admiralsand nnd and navil na'll nall naval . ' aviators of ot course are nre all allhopIng allhoping allhoping hopIng that Greit Gre1t Great Britain Britnln and Italy ItalywIll Italyvv111 Italywill wIll vv111 not become Invoh Involved invoked cd In a war warbut wnr- wnr war- war wnrbutIf warbutif - but but-If but If - If thev they the do , they will be watchingw'th watchingwth v.lltchlng vlltchlng watching watchingwith . with \ 'th th ' gicat great 1 eat Interest to see how l\Ius l Ius Mus lIussol1nl's Mussolini's ? \ Iussolini's Iussolinis sol1nl's sol1nls solini's solinis ' tcrrinc tcrrIfIc terrific air force comes outwith out outwith with ' . ttb the superior British Brltlsb navy . Britiins DrJt'un DrJtun Britain ' s attempt atternpt-reg'lrded atternpt reg'lrded reglrded nttempt-regarded nttempt regarded - regarded ' as cer cpr car- car cartaln certain . - tain tnln taln It if she keeps I.eeps Ieeps . on her piesent plesent course courseto courseto courseto -to to - to blockade blocI.ade blocIade Ilockade . Italy Huh , and close the theSue7 theSuer theSuc7 Sue7 Suer cinnl c'mlll cmlll c'inal cinal ' ' \ will Jll is 'lS lS as ' surely be folloed follosed follosedby follo\ follo followedby \ . ed edby i by attempts by the Italian air force forceto forceto forceto to bomb the Biltish BlltIsh British fleet out of the thew thewater thewaterWhich w " Iltcr ater IltcrWhich aterWhich Which is highly hlghl Interesting to Oen Gen Gen1VIllhm OenWtuhm GenWlllilm Wtuhm 1VIllhm Mttchell Mitchell and naval a.latol alatol avlatois aviatoison . s , , on the one hand , and practicilly prllct1c'1lly prllct1c1lly practically ' all allAmerlc'1n allAmerican allAmerlc'in allAmerlcin Amerlc'1n Amerlc1n American ' ' admiral's admirals a admirals mlral ' , < , on the otherSince other otherSInce otherSince SInce shortly aftel aCtel aftet the I Imopelln Iutopean : ; inopean warthei war , theJ- theJ they theJh'1 - hue h'1C hiye h'1\ h'1 h1 ' \ C been becn fighting fightmg lighting this questionof question of how important the air nlr force wasand was , i and pnmirily prun'lrI1 prunlrI1 primirlly ' whether "hether hether " a battleshipcan battJeshipcan battJeship battleship can live against an air all ' attack nttac ! . In force . , Mitchell's Mitchells 'Iltchen's Iltchens ' ' part In this woidy wordy \ 01 dy encounter encoun encounter encounter ter Is chieny chfelh chfefis remembered because he herefused herefused herefused refused to recognize recogD17C any limitations limitationson i on big his public utterances utteranccs It " will 111 be berecalled berecalled berecalled recalled that he " was "as as finally court mar martlnled martialed martialed tlnled tialed and com convicted Icted In 1925 10Z5 10:5 105 : after he heh'ld hehad hehid h'ld hld had ' denounced the high commind comm'lnd commlnd command ' as asguIlty asguilty asguilty guIlty of " "treason treason " " Hardly IIardly an anybody anybodycould anybodycould body bodycould could be found to agree with tintword th1t that th1tword thatword word treason 'treason ' , , " whether they the ; > agreedwith agreed agreed"ith agreedwith "ith ith with " Mitchell l1tchell on the Idea tint th'1t th1t that ' battleships battle battleships battleships ships were \ \ ere obsolete or not . . But on tlie the main mam points of the fighta fight a greit grC'lt grClt greet ' many man many military aviators nvmtors , botharmy both botharmy botharmy army and navy , agreed absolutelywith absolutely absolutely"ith absolutelywith "ith ith with " Mitchell , always alirays ahV'1 ahV1 ' s recognizing th'lt thlt that th'lthe thathe tinthe ' he purpo&cly purpocly purposely purpo & ely made m'1de m1de ' his hlg attacks aUad.s aUads . as asBensaUonal assensational assensational BensaUonal sensational as possible so as to attract attractpublic attractpublic attractpublic public 1ttentIonN'l11 attentionNaval ' attention 1ttentIon attentionNaval Naval N'l\11 N'l Nl 11 ' \ ' aviators a\Iators a Iators \ , , In particular , bow- bow how- how bowevel however how-evci how evci - evel ever , , have been bcen gagged ever since by bythe bythe bythe the mechanics of the navy's navys n'1.VY's n1.VYs n1VYs ' . ' promotIOn promotIOnsystem promotionsystem promotionsystem system Every so often orten a n board ofsenior of ofsenior ofsenior senior olhcers oll1cers officers considers the list of ot of officers of- of officers officers - ficers of ot various vnrlous ranks ranl"s ranls " It picks outthose out outthose outthose those It considers eligible ellglble for promotion promo promotlon promotlon tlon All promotions are made fromthis from fromthis fromthis this list The selection board Ischanged Is Ischanged ischanged changed every eery e\ e \ ery time , but If an officerIs officer officeris officeris is passed over twice , normally , he hemight hemight hemight might Just as ns " well "el1 el1 give up He wIll wIllnot willnot willnot not be promoted His ills career Is ruhied ruinedWhy ruined ruinedWhy Why They Are MumNow Mum MumNow Now remem remember er that virtually vlrtual1y all the theadmIrals theadmirals theadmirals admIrals belle\ belle belies believe bellee \ e a In battleships , 1nd and 1ndregard andregard ' andregard regard airplanes , for the most part , asmere as asmere asmere mere adjuncts And remember thata that a given percentage of ot younger officersIn officers In any grade must be passed over inthe Inthe in inthe the selection processes And It becomes be becomes becomes comes clear wliy why very few young aviation avm avia avmtlon aviation tlon tion enthusiasts In the navy speaktheir speak speaktheIr speaktheir theIr minds in public pubhc . They cannot cannotafford cannotafford cannotafford afford to antago antagonize lze the men who will willbe willbe willbe be passing p'lsslng plsslng pissing ' on their eligibility eliglbillty for pro pro- promotlon promotion promotion - - motion motlon motionBut motlonBu Bu But t If " worst "orst orst comes to " worst "orst orst In the theMediterranean theMediterranean theMediterranean Mediterranean , the ability of the ail nit ailplane nitplane ailplane plane and nnd the submarine submarme to crush the thesurface thesurface thesurface surface ships will be demonstr'lted demonstrlted demonstrated demonstr'ltedbeyond demonstratedbeyond demonstratedbeyond ' beyond any power Poer Po\\ Po \ er of argument , or theold the theold theold old battleships , so dear to the admirals admlr admir admlrnls admirals nls als , w \ will III Ill vindicate their faith In It ItIncidentally itIncidentally itIncidentally Incidentally if the admirals win , Itwill it itwl11 itwill wl11 will be just too bad b\d b d bid ' \ for MussoliniTheir Mussollnl Mussolini MussollnlTheIr MussoliniTheir TheIr contention contentfon has always a\\ays a ays ) \ been thatthe thnt that thntthe thatthe the airplane alrpl'lne alrpllne ' was splendid for scouting scoutingand , and annoying the enemmuch enemy-much enemy much enem -much much - much as the thecavalry thecavalry thecavalry cavalry used to be In Civil Clvn war d'1YS d1YS days dayswhen ' , , "hen hen when " Jeb Stuart raided all aU the "ay ay tray "ayaround trayaround " wayaround around tlie the tederal lederal federal 11 ' aimy army my , \ which \ hlch "as as ryas "ashlghlv ryashighly " washighlv hlghlv highly spectacular and profitable In Incaptured incaptured Incaptured captured supplies supphes , but did not chnnge change chnngethe changethe changethe the character of tlie the war very muchAfter muchAfter much muchAfter After everything even thIng else is swept s\\ept s ept \ \ awavin a\\av a av asav aavIn asavin \ In the fighting , the admnals adml1als admitals contendthe contend , the battleships battle hlps will still stiU be fioattng floating floatingand , nnd and still able to hurl destruction dealIng deal dealIng dealIng Ing bioadsldes bloadsldes bioadsides Their masts will wiII havebeen have havebeen havebeen been torn away by bombs dropped dropp d byplanes by byplanes byplanes planes Their hulls hullsm \ ' will \\m m be leaking le'lklng lelklng leiking ' invarious Invarious In arlous various \ compartments from torpedoes torpedoesfired torpedoesfired torpedoesfired fired by submarines But they will willstill willstill willstill still be on thp the th job , and-and and and - and here Is Isthe isthe Isthe the brunt of their argument-nothing argument nothing argumentnothingelse argument - nothingelse else wllIIf willIf will wllI willIf If they are right , Italy , will 'J1l J1l ' be block blockadedthe blocktidedthe blockaded aded-the aded the tided-the tided - the Suez will w1l1 be closed-Mus closed Mus closedMussoUnl closedMussollni closed - Mussolini soUnl sollni will .IIl IIl . be unable to send suppliesto suppUesto suppUes supplies to his African legions If they arewrong are arewrong arewrong wrong , nobody knows what "hat hat " the an answer an- an answer . - swer s\\er s er \ \ will wHl be Always Alwa s assuming a < , ; sumlng thatIn that thatIn thatin In the early e'1rly e1rly ' clashes the tremendouslysuperior tremendously tremendouslyfouperIor tremendouslysuperior fouperIor superior Italian air force crushes theBritish the theBrHIsh theBritish BrHIsh British air nlr force forceCotton forceCotton Cotton a Trouble MakerCotton Maker MakerCotton Cotton Is apt to produce tense dip diplomatlc diplomatic diplomatic lomatlc lomatic situations again ag11n , . vilth sltli Jth tears fears fearsthat , that the United States Stntes may be forced forcedJnto forcedinto forcedInto Jnto into a n world war , just as It did In the theearly theearly theearly early days of the l 1914 14 conflict c"nfiict cnfiict " . . It Itwl11 Itwill Itwill wl11 will be far more Important than th'1n th1n thin ' wheatfor wheat , for the simple reason that the UnitedStates Unitetl United UnitetlStates UnitedStates States this year } car ear has no wheat of con con- consequence consequence . - sequence to sell seU In fact , It will sslil \ III probably prob probably probably ably buy some from Canada C'1nada C1nada ' Coppermay Copper Coppermay Coppermay may be the runner up to cotton as atrouble a atrouble atrouble trouble maker , thus curiously Cl1riol1 ly enougheffecting enough enougheITectlng enougheffecting eITectlng effecting a po possible & , > lble combination comblu'ltlon comblultlon ' ot of otthe ofthe ofthe the West and &outh outh South & In another pollt pout polltleal poutlea polltleal leal lea ] allianceibis alliance nllhnce allianceIbis Ibis hIs situation Is fur more serious seriousthan seriousthan seriousthan than the tbe news from Washington 1Vashingtou or oran oranywhere oranywhere an anywhere , } where else has ha'S ' Indicated It Is IsIlossed isglossed Isplosscd Ilossed glossed ! 0\ 0 \ over 0ar ar the word "sanctions sanctions "s'1ncUons s1ncUons " ' " in inreports inreports inreports reports from Geneva Gene\a Gene a Genera \ , Paris and nnd Lon London London London don Stripped StrIpptd Strlppcd of diplomatic dlJloruntlc } lanoiingeconsider Innuage Ianfiage . ; , consid consider .r r < . just what .hat hat , . It It.m will \.m .m sill \ . mean Ifrrance If Ifrr'lnce ifCrince rr'lnce rrlnce Crince ' , as us Washington e\pects e pects a\pects a \ ' , goesalong goes goesalong goesalong along with vslt1i ' " Ith Biltain lllltnin Britain In applying leaguesanctions le.1guo le1guo league le.1guosanc.tlons leaguesanctions . sanc.tlons sanctlons sanctions : . to Italy It'1lv It1lv Itily ItalyIt It'1lvIt ItilyIt ' It means nothing noticing else but a virtualblockade Tlrtual virtual TlrtualIJlockade virtualblockade IJlockade blockade of Itnb Italy Itul Npt jmt just jui > , t for goodsileclnicd goods goods11eclnt goodsdeclared declared 11eclnt etl to be contraband of \ ' war 'sar sar ar , but butos but"verytiing butverytiing os " . , eryG cr ) ' Ing It means mCJn'l mCJnl ' that the UnIted UnItedI UnIted'iw United'itiifea United'SUslea UnitedSUslea I 'iw iw 'itiifea itiifea ' leD , e even . en In Its own 0n ossn 0\\ 0 \ \ n ships , , cou'd coud cou1tl could ' not send a pound of ot cotton or a piece pieceof pieceof pieceof of machlneiy machInelY machinety or a basket basl"et baslet " of food to toN'1ples toNiples toNaples N'1ples N1ples Niples ' and Genoa It means me'1ns me1ns ' that thatevery thatevery thatevery every American ship slllp slip traversing trasersing tr l\ l \ lerslng erslng theMediterranean the thelIedlterranC'ln theMediterranean l\IedlterranC'ln l IedlterranC'ln IedlterranCln Mediterranean \ ' would be crossing awar a aoar oar \ \ fir zone , with all aU the possibilitiesthat possIbilities possIbilitiesthat possibilitiesthat that act involves involvesWhich involvesWhich involvesWhich Which presents a 'l l 't t ' ' very tough nnt nut torPresident for forPresIdent forPresident PresIdent Roosevelt HooseeU Hoose\ Hoose \ eU to ciack clack crack Eitherway Bither Either Bither"ay Eitherway "ay ay way " he moves means trouble , citherfoicign clther either cltherfOl eitherfotelgn fotelgn fOl elgn or domesticS'1ve domesticSave domestic Save S'1ve S1ve ' that th'1t th1t tilt ' he has made It clear be lie behas liehas hehas has no Intention of seeking seeldng to put the theUnited theUnited theUnited United States St'ltes Stltes Stites ' In 1n the League of Na Natwns Nations Nations twns tions . , President Roosevelt Hoosevelt has stuch stuck stuchrather stuckrather stuckrather rather closely to tlie the Woodrow Wilson Wilsonpolicies Wilsonpolicies Wilsonpolicies policies Two of these were free freedom freedom freedom dom of the seas and international co coopel cooperation coopciatlon opel operation aUon for the preservation ofpeace or of orpe'1ce ofpcice pe'1ce pe1ce pc-ice pc ice ' - On the last , of course cOllrse , Wilsonwas Wilson Wilsonwas Wilsonwas was willing wllling to go the whole way \ \ aYe aYeIIe . ne IIe He IIeopposed Heopposed opposed a senate sen1te reservation to Article Arti ArticIe Art ! cIe cle X Z , saying that aiticle article a1 tlcle was the the'heart "heart heart 'heart " ' of the covenant COenant cotenant CO\ CO \ enant ' of the leagueArticle league leagueArticle leagueArticle Article X \ was the one which promisedthat promIsed promIsedthat promisedthat that e\ e every ecry \ cry league lC'lgue lClgue ' member would contribute eontrIbute con- con eon- eon - tribute armed forces to enforce enforceleague enforceleague enforceleague league decisions It Is still n a part of ofthe ofthe ofthe the league le'lgue lelgue ' co covenant , ennnt tMay t ' May Have to ChooseBut Choose ChooseBut But the point Is that Roosevelt Roosc\elt Roosc elt \ wilJ will wilJbe willbe willbe be forced to choose , unless the tbe ItaloEthiopian Halo Italo HaloI HaloBthloplan ItaloEthiopian I Bthloplan Ethiopian situation clears up most une\pectedly une pectedly un unI unepectedly unexpectedly I e\pectedly e pectedly expectedly \ ' , between bet " een two of those polides tlol pol polIdes I icles Ides He Be may choose freedom of theseas the theseas theseas seas , and insist on America's Americas ' right totiade to tottade I Ihade hade ttade hade1th with \1th 1th watli ' \ Italy even If Jf the leagueproclaims league leagueprocliims : procl'1lms procl1lms procliims ' a blockade bloct . 1dc ' undei undel under the guiseof guise guiseI guiseof guiseof I of sanctions Or he be may choose co cooperation cooperation cooperation operation to preserve prcserve peaceThe peaceThe peace peaceThe The first would lead to an extreme extremely extremely extremely ly dangerous d1ngerous dingerous International Intern'ltlonal Internltlonal ' situation situationIt ; It might |