The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-04-03
GREAT ARMAMENT
FOR PROTECTION
Roosevelt Declares In taver Of
Four BattIeSHips
DEFENSE MUST BE BEST
North Carolina Peace Society Is Con-
graduated BY the President For
An Expression In Favor of
Adequate Armament.

Washington. April 2.--senator over
i 1aan of North Carolina today introduced
/ to President Roosevelt Hayne Davis
president of the North Carolina Peace
! society. who invited the President t.
! attend and address the arbitration and
J peace congress to be held at Whining
ton. n. c.. the first week in May this
being the first anniversary of the peace
society
The President did not signify wheth-
er or not he would. be able to attend
the congress, but expressed in emphatic
! language his approval of the pro-
eramme Of the North Carolina societ;
Tor adequate armament and effective
arbitration, adequate armament being
an unquestionably superior power in
our territory and in waters adjacent
thereto. and effective arbitration ne
cessitating agreements between all the
powers to respect each others treaties
After promising his assistance in every
possible way to effectuate the pro-
gramme, the President said
4 am glad to learn that the Not'h
Carolina Peace society has declared II
self in favor of adequate armament as
veil as effective arbitration. There is
no inconsistency in having both Of
these things at the present time. Ol,
the contrary, those who'have the public
welfare at heart fail in the perform
ance of a part of their duty if they
neglect to labor for both Effectual
arbitration should be desired by every
ar-sighted citizen; while under pres
ent conditions, not to provide adequate
armament would be inexcusable. on the
part of those charged with the re-
snonsibilitY of preserving the. rights
of our people.
THE North Carolina Peace society
is to be congratulated on its position
and should be supported by all good
citizens in this effort for the general
welfare; and great credit is due to the
state of North Carolina for this action.
The entire nation and the cause Of
peace and justice throughout the wor d
Will benefit by this new departure n
promoting the general peace movement.
The approaching congress will certain
!" concentrate the thought of our pc }
ple upon the fact that adequate arma-
ment necessitates an unquestionaDly
superior naval power in the waters ID
iacent to our possessions and that ei-
-fective arbitration necessitates agree
ments between all the powers to &c
speet each 9th er's territory and to arbi-
trate all other questions
The acceptance of these facts as axi-
omatic must speed the day when our
own country will be armed rs to min
mize the chance of the wars that are in
vted by national weakness; while the es-
Establishment of an effective system of in
ternational arbitration will greatly dlmi1i-
ish the chances of conflict among nations
of approximately equal strength The
growth of the acceptance of the people
of the International arbitration is neces-
sarily slow; we should do all we can to
hasten it: but as the world is at present
1t IS well to remember that the acceptance
of this principle in any measure whatever
depends exclusively on the effective sup
port IL received from the half dozen pow
ers of great warlille strength.
AS things actually are at the prescnt
day We are helpless to further the cause
OF peace and of effective International ar
bitration. unless to just and peaceable in
tentions we add stout heart and strong
armand this means military and naval
preparedness to far greater degree than
is al present the case.
with this purpose in view | am nego-
tiating arbitration treaties with the va
rious nations and the Senate is ratifying
them; | most earnestly hope that at the
same time as an even more important step
toward peace the present Congress will
provide for four battleships. a sufficient
number of Golfers and for the thorough
fertilization of Hawaii and Guantanamo.
desire to thank you for this opportunity
to support genuine peace society in its
efforts for International arbitration"