The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-12-22
WOULD CURTA|L
MILITARY BUDGET

WASHINGTON Nov. 3O.-Represen.
tative James A. Tawney of Minnesota,
chairman of the house appropriations
committee, returns to Washington for
the approaching session Of Congress
more firmly convinced than ever that
it should be the policy of the govern.
ment to call temporary halt. on the
work of building battleships and pro.
viding for coast defenses, and use the
money thus saved for internal improve.
ments.
''In two congresses says Mr.. Taw.
ney, 1--WE have appropriated more
money for the navy than the entire
cost of the Panama canal. If public
sentiment will warrant temporary let.
up Of this tremendous drain on the
treasury, the money thus saved will, in
few years, take care of all the in.
ternal improvements for which the
country is clamoring."
Mr.. Tawney quotes approvingly the
prime minister of Great Britain, Her.
bert Asquith, who said recently to par.
Lament that the time has come for an
abandonment of the "ambitious com.
petitive shipbuilding policy" which
for years has been running riot through.
out all the great nations of the earth.
No Danger of Attack.
It is Mr.. Tawney IS belief that If this
extraordinary work could be curtailed
not entirely stopped-for four or fve
years, the people would rise up and call
the government blessed. There is alb
solutely no immediate or remote dan.
ger of war between the United States
and any European power, he says, and
this being the case, what is the use of
spending millions upon millions of treas
ure on Atlantic coast fortifcationsf
These fortifications have already
been carried forward to considerable
lengths, and might with propriety be
left where they are for the next ten
years, or even longer.
"But what if war with some Eu-
ropean power should come unexpected
ly9' Mr.. Tawney was asked.
'In that event, our isolation would
be our chief protection. No European
power has a naval base on this side of
the Atlantic. Should Great Britain
ever begin the establishing of such a
base in the West Indies, it would be
possible for us to complete our Allan
tic coast defenses in ample time to
escape danger. And without a naval
base on this side, no European power
would be in position to attack us.
| Again, there is no European power
having the transport service necessary
to the carrying of 100000 men and
equipment. That equipment, for the
purpose of invading our coast, would
include horses, wagons, tents, provi-
sions, ammunition and all the other
things required by an army in the
field The physical difficulties are thus
insurmountable, and make our heavy
expenditures for eastern coast defenses
seem without warrant.
"0n the west coast the same thing
is true with regard to Japan that is
true on the east coast with regard to
Europe. Without naval base in the
Pacific coast, no Japanese fleet could
leave that country for an attack on
the United States, and ever hope to
get back home again.
Would Fortify Hawaii.
"I indorse, however, the thorough
| fortifcation of Hawaii, which is to be
our naval base in the Pacific. With
this fortifcation complete, it will be
ont of the question for any Asiatic
fleet to attack us on our own coasts.
81 was the first man in the House
of Representatives to make a speech
in favor of the annexation of Hawaii,
realizing its Importance as a naval
base, and the passing years have con-
frmed the opinion then entertained
That speech was made in 1897. But
our western defenses should be con-
fined to that group of Islands, and par
ticularly to Pearl Harbor."