The age-herald., 1900-05-15
THE ARMOR PLATE
 QUESTION IN CONGRESS

Washington, May 14-tspecial.)-The speech made on Friday by Senator Lodge against the proposition of the naval com mittee to authorize the construction Of an armor-making plant, provided the Carnegie and Bethlehem armor-making companies do not contract to provide the Krupp ar nor for the battleships authorized by the naval bill of 1900 at s445 ton. has created considerable interest. MT Lodge practical ly warned the senate, and through it the people, of the danger of a war with Ger many over the Monroe doctrine. Following as this speech did, the after-dinner speech made some days ago by Secretary Root in which he expressed the fear that we might have to fight for the Monroe doctrine. it has naturally caused people to pause and think They wonder whether the secretary of war and a leading member of the sen- ate foreign relations committee are alarm ists or whether there really is grave dan ger that within a not very remote future we may have to fight The tendency is to believe that Mir. Root and MT. Lodge are unnecessarily alarmed, but that at the same time the government should not be too sure of it's freedom from danger MT. Lodge argued that the safety of our country depends upon the strength of it's navy He expressly denied that we needed a navy to protect our insular possessions and said our danger lies in our great coast line studded as it is with great cities, and in the defense of the Monroe doctrine. He referred to the prospective construction of an istlunian canal, to control defend and hold which open, we must be masters of the Caribbean sea- A great fleet is the surest insurance of peace, and the United States would be unwise to close it's eyes to the possibilities of the situation. He in sisted that we cannot permit the Danish West Indies to pass into any other hands than ours and that the nation which should undertake to secure possession of them would by that act become our enc my, because of their being on the road to the canal He said he was by no means sure that some European nation, perhaps one whose navy is now being so rapidly increased-ths meant Germany--may not test the Monroe doctrine, or we may be called upon to protect that doctrine in Brazil or some other South American country.
 This was strong talk, and carefully con- sidered before uttered. MT. Lodge is lit- tie inclined to be vigorous in foreign af- fairs, to want to have the American na- ton potential in foreign matters, perhaps somewhat aggressive There may be real reason for anxiety and there probably is not, yet it will do no harm to have at- tention called to the possibilities even if the senator who does so is inclined to ex- aggerate a little, and even to approach the sensational It is the almost unanimous feeling in congressthat we should construct and maintain strong navy, but opinions differ very much as to the adyisibility, in order to hasten concerns to hold the gov ernment up and secure exorbtant prices for armor plate. It is that feeling of ir- ritation at great government of 75,o0O,00O of people being compelled to accept any terms for armor a trust may impose, that has caused the feeling that we should have a great armor plate making plant, if for no reason other than to force the armor trust to ask reasonable prices for armor.
 A. H.