| Show concerning noncompetitive naval competitions inducements thereto the widely heralded assertion that th alio recently announced naval building programs pro grains of great britain ind japan inspired by tile the present naval building program 0 of the united states anti and that theae programs initiate an international race for naval supremacy macy must we se tax tile the credulity of an all in tolli geil nation tho the widespread knowledge that tho ho washington and london naval treaties treat ios provide it a definite quota of naval tonnage to each cacti of tho three nations would alone servo to discredit the statement that a naval race has been beell pi eciel bated tile fact that great britain lacks lacka but BO 50 ships of having her full treaty strength and japan but 7 ships whilo tile tho united states Is at present short of her treaty quota by ships and will still bo be short of it by 85 ships when tile tho present construction program Is completed sufficiently discredits the inspirational theory whim they havo have completed their announced programs great britain and japan will only have attained full treaty strength and replace mont of ships coming over ago before 1037 and in 1937 find and 1938 1038 tills this situation will probably serve tr to mako our people wonder how these theao fauts facts import a naval race thu tho fact la Is unquestioned enquest toned by Ameil can naval authorities that great britain and japan are en within thelt their treaty rights in ili up lip to mid and a I 1 lp tho the quotas it tho linnit oin nit conter enco they asserted tod and which wo consented were reasonably necessary to their national security since tile the of the treaty those nations hv adopted announced nouli ced and consistently can lid out stilt ship construction programs designed to to bung bring their fleets to treaty strength in 1930 1036 uy by such stich construction they have con coll the iho considered estimates ot of their dull dol kates to the ae london c ii ference na as to tn their respect te la re e quire menti for national cecur ty the united states has hag as coasts bontly neglected neglect eil building its fleet by progressive annual construction and it now finds itself met with tile the task of accomplishing in less than three years what tile the other nations took six years to accomplish or accepting the alternative of relegating itself to a third rato rate naval power without escaping the while retaining the interests flud and essential policies of a first rate nation while the united states may bo be unable to complete the rounding out of its ita fleet to full treaty strength in so short a time congress should not and doubtless will nut not neglect to provide for all such ne cesary construction at its january sos session slon upon tho the initiative of tho president secretary swanson and chairman vinson of the on oil naval affairs Affair a and nd with their combined and ins inspiring sp tr i g leadership such auch action could not fall fail any failure to provide for a treaty navy at once would not only reduce this country to 9 third class naval power but it would effectually impeach our claim made at tile alio london conference that our national security and interests ro quire flout fleet parity with great britain and a 6 5 to 3 ratio of fleet bleet strength with japan jap an tho the logic of B such lich a situation would go far toward weakening any clatin claim on our part to like future ratios nt at tile tho coming 1935 conference two national requirements are fast becoming obvious to a people willing to faco fa co realities and to assume proper national ties that we build our navy to treaty strength without delay and that wo we increase navy personnel at once not only to sufficient strength to man our present fleet with its full complement of officers cord anti and enlisted men but also to man our new ships with their designed complements of trained and efficient officers and men at the present time our are only manned to between 70 and 76 per cent of their full fall crows crews it will require approximately additional officers line staff and warrant and additional dit ional enlisted men to supply full complements to ships which will be in ili commission when the now new building program Is completed this allows for crews of present avor age ships being transferred to new replacement ships and loaves leaves shore stations with present restricted officer and enlisted per so bonnel linel it Is entirely safe to say that a 70 percent navy either in ships or crews will not satisfy the american I people nor will they be satisfied I 1 to solid send their sons to man and perhaps to fight their ships without adequate training nothing would contribute moro more to world stability and tile the preserve atlon of national peace than a world knowledge that this nation Is ready and able to safeguard american interests and policies with no assumption that war Is we are all aware that world conditions are explosive aside As ade from these conditions wise men and wise nations insure against possibilities of 0 loss not merely probabilities surely a government that Is spending many billions of dollars to recover p can afford tile the reason albe cost of being bel n g re ready it dy to protect it when recovered ree 0 ve r od especially ally when that hat expenditure for protection contributes so directly and substantially to such recovery |
