Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-16

ferred TO Mr. GODSon d9 O. 'O'S
thusiast, an expert on naval aHalrs'
whose mind is entirely absorbed along
these lines
Tawney Urges Economy
During the consideration Oh tIe III, ~,
CHAIRMAN Tawney of the committee on
appropriations again pointed out me me
danger in which the treasury Is peliis
nlaced by the immense increases III
appropriations authorized by the sew
eral supplementary measures
Mr.. Tawneys remarks were hlaue
narticularly applicable to the demand
for four battleships instead OF l"o.
He compared the appropriations III
various countries in preparation lor
war and on account of war, ana % %salu
the startling fact was developed that
he Tinted States was spending more
than any other nation in the Worlu'
I'VE are this year." he SAID eN-
,,endins $s4.975,238 more than EnSlahu,
S136067 1893 more than Germany anu
Stb2. 1853. 1886 more than France.
Continuing the comparison mr' law
ney declared further that on account
of preparation for war the UhlLeu
states with an army of $1,000 men ana
a navy of A.. 900 men, is eXpendlng TINS
wear only $66. 701 less than Englahd
with an army of 204, 300 men and navy
of 100 400 men; that the United states
is expending for this purpose only
S35.sS4, ,S69 less than Germany with Her
army of 100000 men and her navy Oh
62 600 men; that the United States is
expending for this purpose in excess
of the amount expended by France
with her army of $4,000 men and her
navy of 6,2S5 men, $268S S32.
Maintainging that navies are punt
for national defense, Mr. TaWney sald
they were not intended and could not
flN.a
are necessary to satisfy an ambltlon'
either individual or national to COM
pete with other nations in time OF
peace to size and number OF hghtlng
machines.
He argued that in the United States
the prestige of power of the nation ala
not depend upon the size OF the army
and navy.
"There is no policy of our govern
ment," he said, "either foreign or do
mestic, to enforce, and the size or
either is the first or only the essntial"
Against Militarlsm
The country, he said, had SO,o0000o
patriotic people, land it is in these
that the strength of our nation exists
and not in our standing army or our
permanent naval establishment"
Continuing. Mr.. Tawney declared
that 1.-The strength of our policies and
the ability of our government to ell
force them will always be measured
by ourselves and by foreign nations,
not by the size of our army, but by
the resources, the patriotism and the
loyalty of the people, who at all times
are known to be ready and willing to
sacrifice their property and even their
lives in the defense of their govern
lnent and its benefcent institutions"
The people, therefore, he argued,
should not be encouraged to surrender
that self-reliance, that consciousness of
superior individual strength as ma
tion by trying to teach them to rely
upon q standing army and navy In
time of peace large enough to be capa-
BILE to successfully compete with the
armies and navies of the world and
any one in time of war"
Discussing the question of war, Mr..
TaWney said if there was any reason
to apprehend war with any foreign
power within the next decade the infor
nation upon which that apprehension
was based had been carefully withheld
from the legislative department of the
government. He asserted the geograph-
ical isolation of the United States was
an asset far more valuable as means
of defense than ''all the navies we
could build if we did not possess this
advantage"
BungIing Policy
Mr. Tawney charged the United
States in the past had pursued bung-
ling naval policy and he pointed out
that the journey of the Atlantic fleet to
the Pacific was made possible only
through the aid of twenty-eight vessels
flying a foreign flag.
"A more disgusting spectacle was
never Witnessed" he said, and he con"
demned the naval policy which had
overlooked auxiliary vessels to supply a
fleet with the means absolutely essen
tial to it's existence.
ut may be-" he said in conclusion,
that this great mistake is due to the
fact that a collier which is as essential
to the efficiency of the navy as a battle
ship, is not so attractive does not
afford the opportunity for the Same
pyrotechnic display upon the ocean
or at the summer resorts along the
coast, and for that reason we have
made the mistake of building a navy
that today in order to make its voyage
from one ocean to another is obliged to
rely upon vessels belonging to other
nations"
Mr.. Humphrey of Washington read a
brief note addressed to him by the
president, dated April 10, expressing
surprise that anyone should oppose
four more battleships, and Mr.. Hum
phrey, waving his hand toward both
sides of the house. said that everybody
knew at the bottom OF the opposition
to batteships was d design to create
campaign material.
Hayes Demands Protection
MIR. Hayes of California said that he
voiced the desire of the people of his
state in speaking for four battleships.
He declared that there lis race ques-
tion on the Pacific coast, an acute race
question: and eve Of the coast shall
insist upon our right not to be sub
merged by the hordes of the Orient,
who are streaming across the western
Sea-cooles and laborers--to take pos
session of America west of the Rocky
mountains"
Mr.. Parker of New Jersey held up
the territorial isolation of Alaska as
one argument Cor a greater navy.
Mr.. Willetts of New York asserted
that a few days ago "the president
said to a committee from this house
who called on him at the White House
said it in the presence of other peo-
pie, with his customary vehemence and
facial distortions-th unless you give
me four battleships l will veto your
public building bills That's the
trouble with this situation, Mr.. Chair
man. The president attempts"
Mr.. Willetts was interrupted by Mr..
IIobson, who, speaking with much feel
ing. said: I'm justice to the president,
/ wish to inform the gentleman from
New York that ! saw him minute