America increases naval expenditure while calling for worldwide disarmament

Washington, 29 December 1920 - The U.S. Secretary of State for the Navy, Josephus Daniels, has called on incoming president Warren G Harding to establish an international conference with a view to reducing worldwide expenditure on armaments.

Despite Daniels’ proposal, the U.S. has been ramping up its military spending, rather than rowing it back. A report compiled by Rear Admiral David Taylor, Chief of the Bureau of Construction and Repair, has revealed that nearly 200 warships, including one super dreadnought and 96 destroyers were completed for the American navy during the fiscal year that ended on 30 June. Admiral Taylor estimates that $119 million would be required during the next fiscal year, up from $59 million.

The report also disclosed that the United States plans to construct new types of aircraft, including large semi-rigid airships and seaplanes.

Cartoon commenting on America's expansion of their navy. (Image: Sunday Independent, 19 December 1920)

The scale of U.S. naval development is indicative of where power now lies in the post-war world. According to an editorial in the Freeman’s Journal, it signals America’s determination to ‘ensure that in any future conflict [the U.S.] will be able to impose her will instead of accepting orders from Whitehall’.

However, the acknowledgement by Mr Daniels of the need to reduce spending on armaments will be welcomed by many countries, as this has been a priority to the League of Nations since the convening of the first assembly in mid-November in Geneva.

The view held by many members, including the United Kingdom, is that no progress can be made on disarmament until all the nations of the world come under the umbrella of the League of Nations. This is the crux of the current dilemma as America will not join the League and President-elect Harding is understood to be contemplating an organisation of his own. Russia and Germany also remain outside the League.

In an editorial last week, the Irish Times expressed the view that if disarmament could not be secured then the League itself had failed, as its very purpose was the achievement of that ideal. ‘The fact must be faced. Nobody will throw away his gun until the other man sets the example. Nobody trusts anybody else. That, in short, seems to be at the root of all the trouble.’

[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]