The Washington times., 1909-04-02
WHO PAYS THE PIPER FOR
THE DREADNAUGHTS?

London's chamber of commerce has
just held IAN influential meeting"
which has resulted in a demand ''for
the immediate addition" to Britain's
naval strength of four Dreadnaughts,
with greater proportion of vessels OF
other classes" The foundation of that
declaration is thus set forth by Mr..
Balfour in speech to the commons:
and want to make il clear to the
government and the house: Eight
preadnaughts have been laid down in
1908 by Germany. If four are laid
on April /, 1912; If eight are laid
down-as eight nave been laid down
last year-there will he twenty-one
on April 1, 1912, to our twenty; and
If the Germans initiate the policy Of
the present government and lay down
not only their eight in the financial
year. but begin new group Of four
when the government propose their
group OF four n April I, twelve
months hence, they will then have
twenty five"
Where can suy5' calculation as this
stop? Where will it land the United
States? Where Will IL land the world?
This nation, like every other sea power,
must maintain a sighting strength
equal to combat with either Germany
or any other state if ever the lament
able need for such combat should. arise.
Dresdnaughts are not toys. They
are great floating fortresses. Their
first cost in taxes is greater than the
administration of whole departments
of the government and the maintaining
of them a steady charge greater than
the administration of Justice in whole
jurisdictions. No nation whose outlay
already exceeds her income, as is the
case with both England and Germany,
can look with thrilling pleasure on
proposal to increase her expenses by
first costs annually of four times Sl5,-
100000, to say nothing of eight times
that enormous sum, o. twelve times.
The upkeep OF such a feet will amount
to millions every year And this is an
item of the budget which from the very
nature OF the expenditure can never be
productive of a single cent of revenue,
but on the contrary. must always be a
steadily iHcres sing drain.
international peace may be a roseate
and iridescent dream. But interna-
tional common sense, in the light of
this outrageous international reckless
ness, ought not 10 be dream.
With the people of Germany and
England rests the responsibility to call
the halt They must pay the piper.
What they permit Their governments
to allot for Dreadnaughts they must
take from their families, from their
children, from their homes. This is no
theory. 1t Is the plain lesson of ma
tional bookkeeping And, at one side
though she may stand, the Republic
the United States l. not free from this
danger. She may easily enough catch
the fever Patriotism" said the late
DR.. Samuel johnson, "is the last refuge
of the scoundrel," and the kind of pa
/ tiotism he had in mind is that repre-
sented in fervent appeals to our ma
ti1nal pride to hold ourselves ready to
lick any other nation under the sun.
England and Germany are pointing
the way to other nations. But it is not
the way to greater national progress
and lasting happiness. 1t is the way
70 ruinous taxes, to a qUarrel-seeking
naval strength, to a depletion of agri-
culture, commerce, and the home, for
the manning of ships which every sane
] citizen must pray will ever lack for
use.
YEC ALICE WE CAN nTAC