The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-18
NO NECESSITY
FOR WAR SCARE:
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Continued From First Page.)
for war. or any maintenance OF armed
force or fortlhcation to raise our
voices for peaceful means of settling
international controversies. But Al
think this view is quite unjust and Isl
not practical We only recognize
existing conditions and know that we
have not reached a point Were war is
impossible or out of the ques:tcn and
reached in which all nations are so
do not believe that the point has been
violate their national obligations.
"Take, thus, the question of the Pan
| aman Canal We have property
which, when completed. Will be worth
| s40o,0o0,000; at least, 1t Will have cost
| us that 1t has been built not alone
to further the cause of the worlds com.
merca, but also to bring our Eastern
! and Western seaboards closer together.
/ and TO secure US the military benefit
enabling our naval feet to pass quick
! ly from one ocean to the other.
4 Nov, the works of the canal are OF
such character that one Dreadnaught.
under irresponsible command-and we
! have had an instance of this within 3
month, might easily put the canal out
! of commission. We are authorized to
police the canal and protect it, and we
have the treaty right to erect fortih-
cations there Notifications are the
best and most secure method OF pro-
tectlnS that canal against the attack
! OF some Irresponsible nation or armed
force. 1t is said that we could neutra-
lie tho canal and by inducing ali ma
Il lions to agree not to attack the canal,
secure Its immunity from injury. But
the trouble is that nations are quite
as likely as men to violate their obli-
cations under great stress like that OF
war. 1t seems to me that we ought
to put ourselves in position with ref
ference to this very valuable and del
icate piece OF property. so that should
any notion forget its obligation, we
VIII be in position to prevent unlaw-
ful injury TO this instrument of COM
merce. so valuable to the world and
/ so indispensable to us. The fact that
/ we fortify the canal will not prevent
| us from discharging all International
! Obligations that we may have In re-
speet to it, but 1t will enable us to
defend ourselves in It's possession
| against the act of every irresponsible
force or nation. 1t will not prevent
our maintaining it's neutrality, IL that
is wise and right"
| On the general subject of war and
i preparation for the event the Pres
| ident said:
our strong feeling in favor of
peace, 1t seems to me, ought not to
prevent our taking the proper steps
under existing conditions to maintain
our national defenses. We have on tho
continent of the United States ex.
cellent coast dcfenses for every i'm
portant harbor that an enemy could
enter. We probably ought to see to
1t that we have ammunition and guns
enough for ready use in cases Of
emergency, We have small but an
efficient army OF $4,000 men, we have
militia of about 125,000 men The
army is 50 constituted that we could
enlarge IT from skeleton organize
tion into much larger body. We
ought TO have more trained officers so
as TO furnish the teachers to "a larger
BODY OF men that war might require
us to enlist"
Elsewhere In his address the Pres
ident said: THAT from which the
world can derive the most benefit Is
/ q practical suggestion leading to more
4 permanent peace.
Fnyors International Court.
AL Il am glad to come here aad 10
4 give my voice in favor OF tho estab-
4 lishment Of permanent international
4 court | sinobrely hope that the
u negotiations which Secretary Knox