The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-04-07

tons, and if any nation attempted
to attack the canal it would have
to defeat the combined fleets of the
powers signing the treaty. H.
Miss Mae Agnew spoke for the
affirmative, and made fine inn
preston: She handled her subject
with the same grasp of thought as
any future voter could; and was
forcible, clear in her arguments, and
"a good speaker If she ever has
the right of suffrage she will UNI
doubtedly be found as capable Of
using it wisely as any of 1.-THE men.
She referred particularly to the
economy of fortifying the canal as
compared with attempting to defend
it with fleets. A government re-
be about $12,O0O,OCO. while this is
the cost of single modern bat
tleship, and it would take whole
fleet of battleships to defend it
without land Notifications. Besides
this, the life of battleship is only
about fifteen years, while the for
tifications on land would last indefi-
nitely. These Notifications are nee
essary to protect the most valuable
and strategical possession of the
country. Admirals Mahan, Dewey
and other authorities favor land for
tifications as an adjunct to naval
defense
The canal is being built for mill
tary reasons as well as commercial,
and is a part of the coast line of
the country. With it, our fleets can
be concentrated where necessary.
and if it was fortified, they would
coasts or to seek the enemy. The
canal is vital to us and to no other
country, which gives us a para
mount right and duty to fortify it.
Cost Would Be Enormous.
Fred. Mott spoke for the negative,
holding that the fertilization of the
canal and the necessary mainte-
nance OF large armed force there
to defend the Notifications would
be a strategic disadvantage to the
country in time of war, while the
cost would be enormous. 1t would
be a great misfortune to have our
forces divided. Russia made mis-
take in trying to hold Port Arthur,
for it divided her army and navy,
and this country would be put in
the position of Russia if the canal
was fortified. Admirals Dewey and
Evans have favored concentrating
the army and navy.
If the fortifcation caused no ad-
vantage, the expense would be I'M
justifiable. If fortified, it should be
well fortified. SO as to defy the
greatest naval power, and Congress
men Tawney and Foster of Yer
mont estimate the cost at 100000,
geo and the annual upkeep at $10,-
100000.
The speaker gave well defined
argument, bringing home his facts
strongly, and spoke in Il convincing
manner.
Edwin Goldenstar closed for the
affirmative. He has a good voice,
and impressive appearance and has
made his mark in the oratorical
field of the school. He maintained
that the Suez canal is fortified by
Gibraltar, and the isle of Cypress
and that Great Britain controls it
as much as I'VE could ever control
the Panama canal Wars are still
at least a possibility, and the wide
awake business man fortifies against
possible fires. We should not hest
tate to insure our canal against
foreign attack on account of the eX-
pense. 1t takes long time to build
modern Notifications, and they can
not be built after war begins. Sue
cess comes to a nation as a result
of its preparedness, as was shown
by the success of the Japanese in
the Russo-Japanese war.
Lines of Least Resistance.
Forces unrestrained follow the
lines of least resistance, as is illus
IiatCo W .IuC NoJ IllC udIlOuo law
taken parts of China We cannot
expect other countries to keep
their hands Off of American terri
tory or to respect the Monroe doc
trine unless we have the means to
enforce it. No nation has ever yet
consented to arbitrate any vital
question.
Harry Johnson closed for the neg
ative in an address that was both
OratOrical, argumentative and force
full, and the high sentiments eX-
pressed only We'd with the well
chosen language in which he eX-
pressed them. He said that it was
absolutely impractical for one ma
ton to protect the canal by fortify-
ing it. Treaty obligations would
protect it without force, and to
abandon this idea and fortify it
would be for this country to lose
its prestige Of standing for uni
versal peace. One lone man could
dynamite the locks and render the
canal useless. Air craft are mod
ern method of warfare and could
drop explosives from great heights
into the canal locks and destroy
Thorn Submarine ounhpatc nouIJ