'The United States Navy should not have Kept part of its fighting strength In war zones, declared the 'Kansas City Journal' Post™ in an editorial to-day, As long as we persisted in keeping soldiers, sailors and marines on the geon of hostilities," the editorial aid, "an Incident ike the sinking of the Panay was bound to occur."
"The journal said, "There aze_ only two reasons Uncle Sam should, maintain an armed force in the war zone: to halt Sghting, which we cannot do, or {0 protect "American commercial Interests which the average citizen Pittman, "The Japanese Government sub-Jects Itself to reasonable suspicion that such Ineldents are deliberate and have for their purpose the frightening of nationals of neutral Jcountries so that they will demand for their governments the withdrawal fof all representatives and nationals China," the Senator concluded, Senator William E, Borah. Republican of Idaho, asked whether the Panay was removing refugees oF "patrolling the Standard Oil ships"
'Senator Elbert D. 'Thomas, "Demo-herat of Utah, said, "If Japan accepted the responsibility and' apologizes, there's not much more the United States can do, You can't go to war with a nation which admits its wrong. Of course, there will be a demand from the' public to get all such boats out of there in order to avoid such Incidents. but that's the last thing we want to do with boats of this particular kind, They Panay was there ona mission of mercy and performing exactly the duty {ar which we have such boats there."
""We do not want a war," declared Senator Hiram Johnson, Republican of California. "ut T donot wish, by way of silence, to subscribe to' the idea that Americans may be shot down or a United States gunboat blown to pieces by someone who does not want them there, I will not comment on these Incidents until further data is available, but when that Is available. let us comment with the thought "in mind that we are Americans and "will protect Americans throughout the world,"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.