ANOTHER WAR?

Are we preparing for war? If so, with whom? Admiral Von Tirpitz, of the late Imperial German Navy, envisages an eventual Anglo-American conflict; he prophesied that German submarines would win the war. Congress has not halted its plans for increasing our forces on land, sea, or in the air; on the contrary, these plans have shown an opposite trend.

Since the future of aeronautics in America rests chiefly upon the army or navy, any appropriation intelligently used to further this development would seem to be a worthy expenditure. But the demand for high grants of money does not end with the flying division of our navy. Admiral Fullam describes the submarine service as "practically negligible and woefully behind that of other major powers." Yet Admiral Fullam wants more than submarines. Very recently he came before the Senate Committee on Naval Affairs. He said, some-what abruptly, that the fleet must be united, drilled and organized for immediate action; that we must have a "three-plane navy" (submarines and aircraft, as well as an adequate number of surface vessels); that the American fleet was unorganized and unprepared for war, oven as a one-plant flotilla. "I want the fleet made ready for war quick," was one of the admiral's remarks.

For many weeks the newspapers have talked of disarmament. There has never been a time in recent years which seemed to offer so many chances for actually carrying out such a plan. Germany is disarmed. England, France, and Italy are so near national bankruptcy that they would undoubtedly welcome any practical suggestion for doing away with martial expense. England has said as much. Yet in direct opposition to this feeling, we have our navy men crying for more money, a united fleet, immediate preparation for war. Is this jingoism, or are we really facing the possibility of another conflict?

According to Assistant Secretary of the Navy Woodbury, our government is spending ninety cents out of every dollar of our income in paying for former wars or in preparation for wars to come. There seem to be many high officials who wish to continue this expenditure. They may be perfectly right. We may be in grave danger. Yet it is conceivable that we might feel more certain of their wisdom if they would tell us just whom we may fight, and merely incidentally why.