10 DECEMBER 1927, Page 1

News of the Week

VOR British people by far the most interesting part of President Coolidge's Message to Congress on Tues- day was that which dealt with sea power. We Wish that it were pleasant reading for us, but frankly it is not.. Any- one who has criticized, as we have, certain aspects of the handling of naval affairs by the British delegates at Geneva, has anequal duty to criticiie the United States When she also 'allows pedantry to stand in the way of agreement. Before we make any comment let us briefly summariie What -Mr. Coolidge said on this subject. "We know now," he . declared, "that no agreement can be reached which will be inconsistent with a considerable building Programme on our part. . . . -Everyone knows that had a Three Power agreement been reached it would haire- left us- with the necessity of continuing our building Programme. . . . -Any future Treaty of limita- tion will call on us for more ships."

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