Fae Ovn Own San Francisco, July 16.
"Acrimony with which British' delegates to the "Genera naval confer-fence resist American proposals for building of light cruisers. contrasts with the ready ce-operation," say editorial writer in the "Portland Oregonian" (ohe of the conservative: dailies of the Pacific Coast), "they tain in Geneva is regarded here as highly iniquitous. This idea gains currency to such an extent that the man-in-in-the-streetyfwho may not leven have seen-the sea for there fore. millions of Americans in. the Middle-Western states who have been no nearer to. the ocean than the Great Lakes, and perhaps not a3
[gave the American' at the Washing-ching. ear as that), talks very: profoundly ton Conference five years ago." This Jabout the question of Britian's [sentence sums up the national at-naval strength without. any idea, titude of this country towards the whatever of what he is saying. Of stand Great Britain' is making. It one thing, however, he ig unshake~ 3 is pointed out that, at the time of the ably convinced—Britain is wrong. conference at Washington, Britaia One.is, therefore, not surprised. twas in uch financial straits that to find that the average American' she could not embark on a large believes explicitly that Britain mali~ Programme of construction, and viously has attempted to magnify destruction of the Gerroan fleet seem-the actual, American' cruiser ed to relieve her of the necessity' strength by classing destroyers as, fof building many capital ships, bat Jeruiscrs. One writer explains that the U.S, A. has almost a hundred more constriction of" many battleships fand battle-cruisers by the United Jdestroyers than has Britain, 'States threatened to transfer naval most of them were hastily' built supremacy to this country. 'The during the war and.do not compare' Portlend paper also says that Bri with those which Britain recently'. tain wanted freedom from the has built and is, building, only 105%. fiance with Japan (which excited out of 289. being in commission, distrust in the United States, and but Britain "has a great advantago-"furnished a plausible reason' for in only 108 out of 289 being in come an American Navy that would fin cruisers, whether reckoned match those of Britain and Japan by number age or cruising combined,") and the British Gover she also has power "equal ment was glad at zhe time to yi modern destroyers, having the supremacy it could not main-vaders to our none," and the effect, tin for equality. The Four-Power the opinion of the writer quoted, Treaty was a way out of the Al-[it British proposals were. accepted ance, and removed a possible cause would be to establish British sup. fof conflict with the United States feviority in cruisers, Britain, more fand-of discord with the Dominions, alleged to have three post-but an entirely new situation ex: war battleships to America's none, fand six aircraft carriers built and fisted, claims the writer, when the British delegation went to Geneva. building, to America's. three. The Britain had been guaranteed equal general result of all this would be tity in capital ships and had actual to restore Britain's naval supremacy, superior in those of the most [which the writers for the-press in modern type. She had no entangling {this country all unanimously -vote alliance to raise a war-cloud be-she should not have, but "perfidious tween her and this country. The "Albion" is determined to gain this limit of strength in capital. ships oral, they say. The British, peo-raised the military value of the ple cling with pride and tenacity: to type next in rank which was sub-the tradition that England has ject to no restriction—the light fand that, say the singeist, is the chat aay. the. ings, ithe precise reason for the United States.
'The Dreaded Submarine now, once and for all, to insist, 'Then he goes on to try to prove, actual equality. which. it is quite easy to do, tha Britain was fearful of the submar-Dltrtnton 2k: *Cobarea". och fine; she learned her fear during'
During the whole of this cent the war, At the Washington Conversy in the United States regardference, it may be remembered, ing What is taking place at Geneva, Britain' proposed that the submarine tone only can deplore the fact, that be outlawed, but France and Italy, many writers set out deliber-refusing to consent, insisted that ately to "colour" their news, be left free from limitation, and No doubt in all countries this they won, Light cruisers ahd done to some extent, for the writ destroyers being on British affairs, or French or Ger-combating submarines, Britain and man, of Japanese, naturally finds it [Japan demanded equal freedom in difficult to break away from an en-building those types, and they tirely unconscious bias which his na-won, tionality breeds in him, but in no.
The American public now is told country is the press more inclined to that Britain went feverishly ahead make, mountains out gf molehills in the building of light cruisers, than-in the United States. The, seconding to her own estimate of press panders incessantly to public the necessity of her safety. Acprejudices, and in turn creates thers. cording to this estimate, she must all world questions there is, have, as the eyes and ears of her {indeed can only be, but one opinion, Dattle-Reet, three cruisers for each and that is the American opinion. two battleships and battle-cruisers.
Tu this way the American public She must also have additional (the masses, and not the very small leruisers to protect communication minority of men who do their own with her many distant dominions: thinking, built on actual knowledge, and colonies, to protect her world-which they are at pains personally wide commerce, and especially her acquire) is constantly in a bewilsports of food (for it must be re-dorment of self-delusion, membered that Britain usually has 'The American thinks and believes no more than six weeks' supply) and what he likes to think and believe.
raw materials for her industries.
No matter how far from the golden 'Since other nations may build sub-point of truth he unwillingly may marines without limit, Britain be, he is hard to convince that he is rightly in the opinion' of some, wrong, and because of the intensity wrongly in the opinion of those who of his' nature'in all that he does in not fully understand the pecul-this material world, he believes what:
position which Britain occupies Me believes with all his heart, would wants cruisers without limit readily suffer and perhaps even die combat them. for his beliefs, a8 did so many mar-'One could, of course, write much tyts of old, though it be proved more to thow that Britain should subsequently that they were wrong. have what she demands, but with This seems, moreover, to be a na-equal facility one could make out a tional trait, In this country, where strong case why she should have the system of education is supposed nothing of the kind, according to produce a nation of thinkers, the bias one may hold. In_ this strikes one that what actually it is country it is generally believed thet doing is to produce a nation of the terms on which the British insist automata, who think alike and consogcest that they exaggerate the sequently' talk alike, who speedily needs in order to obtain something' work themselves up, emotionally more than true safety demands. into tremendous force over any popular topic of the day, though American Cruiser Strength possibly possessing but the most Pacts, in the kanes of writers why) [superficial hold of the topic, and wish to juggle with them, are made who find it very hard later on jin this country to appear as some-admit that all, along they have been {thing very far from the truth, From ithe outset the st.nd taken by Bri-wrong because they have been too hasty in their deductions,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.