The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-17
'CONGRE ESSMEN
READY FOR WAR
IF NATION ISN'T
They Assail Each Other
With Typewriter
Broadsides.
NO QUARTER is
ASKED OR GIVEN
Criticisms and Invectives Are
Missiles of Destruction Which
Are Hurled Back and Forth
Between Camps of Mill
tarists and alleged
Patriots"

Washington. December 1s.-If this
country is unprepared for war. as Off
cials of the military arm of the gov
ernnent claim 1t to be- It was evil
dent at the Capitol to-day that the
same condition does not extend to
those members of Congress who have
become involved in discussion of
the subject
Criticisms and invectives were the
missiles of destruction fred in broad
sides from the opposing factions, the
exchanges taking the form of type
written statements, in which each side
assailed the motives of the other.
Representative Tawney. chairman of
the Comfittee on Appropriations, was
the target of those who have sought
to have made public a special report
sent TO Congress- dealing with the
state of the national defenses, which
report was rejected because the House
of Representatives declined to accept
in confidence the military secrets IL
was supposed to contain. Ropresen-
tative McLachlan. of California. whose
resolution of the last session was re-
sponsible for the preparation of the
report, and Representative Hobson. of
Alabama, exponent of militarism. were
Mr.. Tawney's antagonists. Incident
ally, Secretary of the Navy Meyer and
Major General Leonard Wood, of the
army. were brought into opposing
camps.
Attacks Tawney.
The statements given out to-day
were based upon a newspaper inter-
view given yesterday by Mr.. Tawney,
and previous statements given by the
chairman of the Appropriations Com
nittce. declaring that the Dickinson
report had been timed to influence Con
sress to vote large sums for an IN
creased army and navy program. TaA9
ing exceptions to these statements. MIR.
McLachlan characterized Mr.. Tawney
as belonging to that class of alleged
patriots who have kept the nation III
utter ignorance until war has ccms
and has been compelled to place un-
enduring. unframed, untutored men.
armed with obsolete weapons, in tiie
field to uphold the national honor
He decried a condition which wou-.l
permit the sending OF the people TO
the nations defense against prepared
enemy, and said that "the great WASH
ington pleaded against @rawneys' In
the struggle for independence.
Mr.. McLaohlan declared that a state
had been an attempt to stampede Con
gress was childish.
Mr. Tawney said that the McLachlan
resolution was not introduced In good
faith He declared:
THE resolution was not offered IL
the interest of public welfare or tho
national defense; IT was in the Inter
est of the reelection OF Mr.. McLaen
Ian. Knowing that fact We have the
right to feel that somebody has taken
aiding the propaganda in the Interest
of militarism The fact has not been
definitely ascertained whether Genera.
Wood or Mr.. Hobson was responsible
originally for the resolution"
Misleading Public.
Mr.. Hobson charged that Mr. Tawney
was deliberately misleading the puU-
lie" In statement. he accused Mr..
Tawrey with recklessness, and criti-
cized him for his position against for
tifying the Panama Canal. After cit
Ing Mr.. TawneS's record on the sub-
ject of national defenses, Mr. Hobson
said:
Mr.. Tawney is the person most re-
sponsble for the present utter lack OF
Secretary Meyer. continuing his dis
cussion of the naval appropriation bill
before the House Committee on Naval
Affairs said to-day that he did not
expect another war in his lifetime
Several members Of the Military At
fairs Committee quoted General Wood
as saving that the government should
be ready for war a any moment