The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-05-27
WORLD PEACE
IS ONLY A DREAM
Foss Says Monroe Doctrine
Will be Questioned Be-
fore Many Years.

washington, May 27.-Representa-
tive George Edmund Foss of illinois. a
republican and former chairman of
the house naval affairs committee, in
speech on the naval appropriation
Dill today. predicted that the Monroe
doctrine will he called into question
more often in the years to come than
IN the past. He pointed out that in
the last fifteen years the United States.
england, Italy. Russia, Japan and
turkey all had been engaged in wars.
Ialk of peace, he said, was IAN irides-
cent dream"
Mr.. Foss spoke in opposition to the
democratic program for retrenchment
in naval appropriations. referring es-
pecially to the no-battelship policy. He
charged the democrats with being
in this connection.
Points to Need for Big Navy.
We need a strong and adequate
navy to protect the interests of the
United States" said Mr.. Foss. There
are many such interests. Among them
are our interests growing out of the
application Of the Monroe doctrine.
Some gentlemen seem to think the
Monroe doctrine will never be called
into question. In my judgment. the
Monroe doctrine will be oftener called
into question in years to come in the
next century than in the past. With
the exception Of the Monroe doctrine.
Admiral Mahan tells u.s. there is no
undertaking more fraught with re-
sponsibilities and danger than the
Panama canal"
Mr.. Foss asserted that the house
san action. would have reported a bill
providing for two battleships this year
had it not been the mandate of the
democratic caucus, which declared
against battleships.
Says End of War Is Not Yet.
Forty democrats voted for two bat
tleships little more than a year ago,
when the republicans were in power"
said Mr.. Foss. IL intend to offer an
ships this year, and hope it will he
supported by as many democrats now
as then. I hope that the democrats
will raise the flag of their country
higher than the banner Of their par
ty. and vote for the maintenace of
the efficiency of the navy
Mr.. Foss said it was all right to talk
about peace and arbitration, but that
everybody knew in the bottom of his
world. and would not be for some
time. and that a nation which was
not prepared for war. when it had as
much at stake as the United States,
was fool hardyato the. last extremity.
Defends Democratic Position.
The United States has never engag-
ed in war provoked by a controversy
which We would have been willing to
submit to court of arbitration" he
said, much less to an international
court. which must necessarily be COM
posed, for the most part, of represen-
tatives of monarchical governments -
Representative Gregg of Texas de-
Tending the position Of the democrats,
said that the naval committee took the
position that the navy must be sup
piled with torpedo craft and other
auxiliaries. such as GOLFERS or fuel
ships. supply ships, ammunition ships,
and others.
Declares Forces arc "Top.Hcavy."
ut will cost $341,741.078 to supply
this shortage" he said. land every
battleship built increases this short
age.
Our position is that 1t is wise to
and use the money available to supply
as many of these necessary auxiliaries
as we can. We contend that the navy
is now top-heavy. like an army with
nothing but heavy artillery, and we
believe in constructing the necessary
naval units to make it efficient and
symmetrical and to supply men and
officers for those we have before build
ing more battleships.
THE present slow battleship is an
experiment, and naval construction Is
in q state of evolution: and the near
future may develop a fighting vessel
which will render obsolete what we
have"