Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-19
National Organization to Repel
Invasion Delegates Fear Is
Purpose of Movement
LARGER ARMY is DEMANDED
San Francisco Meeting, Repre-
senting Ten States, Adopts
Powerful Resolutions
ASSOCIATED Press)

NASSOClhLeQ GIeSSJ
SAN FRANCISCO. Nov. 1S.-The op-
ening gun of what is designed to be an
organized campaign by the states of
the Pacific slope to secure a battleship
fleet in the Pacific and an increase in
the standing army of twenty-five regl-
ments of infantry, and cavalry and ar
tillery in proportion, and the rehabili-
tation of the American merchant ma
rine, was fired today when permanent
organization of the Pacific Slope con-
greSS was effected.
Steps were also taken toward organ
izing a Pacific Coast Defense league,
which it is hoped by those behind the
movement will extend to the rest OF
the country and bring about the forma-
ton of a national defense league.
The delegates from ten states and
territories of the west adopted resolu-
tions strongly urging the desired in
| crease in military and naval power and
the upbuilding of a merchant marine.
/ The congress came to an end tonight
with a brilliant banquet to the dele
gates at the Palace hotel, at which 500
| covers were laid.
In the morning the committee on res
olutions reported the following:
| Resolved That we respectfully urge
| the congress of the United States to
| take immediate steps to provide suita-
| BILE naval bases, properly equipped for
| the use and maintenance of battle
ship fleet on the Pacific coast.
LARGER ARMY URGED
"And we further respectfully urge
| that the regular army of the United
States be increased by at least twenty
| five regiments of infantry and proper
| tionate increases in the field artillery
and cavalry, to the end that our forti-
! fed harbors may be protected from
| 10
| thus given a sure guarantee against
possible INVASION
| A resolution was presented by SEN
ator NeWlands of Nevada calling Tor
| "the construction of an auxiliary navy
| COMPOSED of transports, golfers, scouts,
dispatch boats, etc, to support the
| fighting ships in case of war, Such
| ships to be used in time of peace as
| training ships for our naval reserves,
| and also for commercial purposes in
opening up new routes of trade by lease
| to shipping companies"
| Newlands estimated that an auxiliary
| fleet of forty ships could be built for
| $40, ,000, ,000
The resolutions committee reported
the resolution as ineXpedient and the
congress was of the same opinion after
| Congressman julius Kahn of Cali
fornia had sharply attacked the
measure on the floor.
After lue SlCCllOlI VI OiAlNNAS AcA VIZ
permanent organization Governor Gil
lett of California being chosen pres1-
dent and ten vice presidents named,
one from each of the states and terri
tories represented, the remainder or
the afternoon session was given over
to speechmaking. Among the speak
ers were Congressman Bartlett OF Ne
yada, Congressman julius Kahn of
California, George w. Dickie of San
Francisco and Homer Lea of Long
Beach. .
The latter spoke on "The Relation
Between a Battleship Fleet in the Pa
cific, the Merchant Marine ana the
Present Necessity Of a Mobile Army
and said in part:
"TJnder present conditions, with the
world shrunk together more compact
ly than were the few states OF Europe
a half century ago, there has come
corresponding increase In the neces-
sity for this republic to reach out ana
to participate in all the activities OF
this shrunken world, and If this Is not
done there shall in due time come
about the whiting away of this ma
tion's greatness; for we must not for
get that nations are destroyed eXter-
nally in peace as well as through the
force of invading armies. Inasmuch
as this republic is separated from most
of the world by seas, it's participation
in t1e affairs Of the world is directly
dependent upon it's means of commu-
n!cation to and from those parts; it is
dependent upon a merchant marine
proportionate to its exports and inn
ports ana to the power of its navy;
that is, in turn. proportionate to the
size of its merchant marine"
w w, Bates Of Denver, former
Tinted States commissioner of Navi-
CATION, was to have delivered an ad-
dress, but his paper was read for. him
hv his daughter. In it he declared
strongly for the instituting of discrim-
inatory duties in favor Of American
ships as a method of restoring the
merchant marine.