The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-12-03


voted to strengthening our maritime
power I'm those directions where IL will
best promote our prestige. The coun-
try is familiar with the facts Of our
maritime impotence in the harbors of
the great and friendly republics of
South America. Following the failure
Of the shipbuiding bill we lost our
only American line OF steamers to Aus
tralasia, and that loss on the Pacific
has become a serious embarrassment
to the people Of Hawaii and has Who'll
ly cut Off the Samoan islands from
regular communication with the Pa
cific coast Puget sound i'm the year
has lost over half 0our out of seven)
of its American steamers trading with
the orient.
We now pay. under the act OF 1901,
$4 statute mile outward to 20 knot
American mail steamships built accord
Ing to naval plans, available as cruis-
ers and manned by Americans. Steam
ships Of that speed are confined ex-
clusively to transatlantic trade with
New York To steamships Of 16 knots
or over only 50 a mile can be paid, and
it is steamships of this speed and type
which are needed to meet the require
ments OF mail service to South Amer
lea, Asia Qncluding the Philippines)
and Australia ! strongly recommend.
therefore, simple amendment to the
ocean mail act Of 1891 which shall
authorize the postmaster general in his
discretion to enter into contracts for
the transportation of mails to the re-
publics Of South America, to Asia, the
Philippines and Australia at rate not
to exceed 81 mile for steamships OF
rs knots speed or upward. subject to
the restrictions and obligations of the
act of 1891. The profit of $3.600,0 900
which has been mentioned will fully
cover the maximum annual expendi-
ture involved i'm this recommendation
and il is believed will in time establish
the lines. SO urgently needed. The
proposition involves no new principle,
but permits the efficient discharge of
public functions now inadequately per-
formed or not performed at all.
The Army.
Not only there is not now, but there
never has been, any other nation in the
world SO wholly free from the evils OF
militarism as is ours. There never has
been any other large nation, not even
China. which for SO long a period has
had relatively to it's numbers so small
regular army as has ours. Never at
any time i'm our history has this m.
ton suffered from militarism or been
in the remotest danger of suffering
from mlitarism. Never at any time OF
our history has the regular army been
of a size which caused the slightest
appreciable tax upon the taxpaying
citizens of the nation. Almost always
IL has been too small in size and un-
derpad. Never i'm our entire history
has the nation suffered in the least par
ticnlar because too much care has been
given to the army, too much promi-
nence given ii, too much money spent
upon IL or because 1t has been too
large. But again and again we have
suffered because enough care has not
been given TO it, because 1t has been
too small, because there has not been
sufficient preparation in advance for
possible war. Every foreign war III
which we have engaged has cost us
many times the amount which, II wise
ly expended during the preceding years
Of peace on the regular army, would
have insured the war ending in but
fraction of the time and but for n frac-
ton of the cost that was actually the
case. As nation we have always
been shortsighted i'm providing for the
efficiency of the army I'm time OF peace.
1t is nobody's especial interest to make
such provision, and no one looks ahead
to war mt any period, no matter how
remote, as being a serious possibility,
while an improper economy, OF, ratn-
er, niggardliness. can be practiced at
the expense of the army with the cer-
tainty that those practicing 1t VIII not
be called TO account therefor, but that
the price will be paid by the unfortu-
nate persons who happen TO be III Of
flee when war does actually come.
/ think it is only lack of foresight
that troubles us, not any hostility 10
the army. There are. of course, TOOL
ish people who denounce any care OF
the army or navy as ''militarism,' but
do not think that these people are
numerous This country has TO con-
tend now aud has had to contend IN
the past with many evils, and there Is
ample scope for all who would work
for reform. But there is not one evil
that now exists or that ever has exist
ed in this country which Is or ever
has been owing i'm the smallest part
TO militarsm. Defamation against
militarlsm has no more serious place
in an earnest and intelligent move
ment for righteousness in this country
than defamation against the worship
of Baal or Astaroth 1t is declama'
ton against noneXistent evil, one
which never has existed In this coun-
try and which has not the slightest
chance of appearing here. We are
,,iod IN holm In nuy movement for in