St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1913-10-18
SCHOOLDEBATE
-;tContinned from page l

8
possibly bring strife about? Our op
eonents will doubtless hold before
you verbal picture Of ancient Rome
whose downfall delayed civilization
hundreds of years. This was brough'
about, however, by conditions which
will never come to pass in this coun
try. Rome's fall is attributed to it.
wealth which caused moral and phys
zeal decay. This wealth, however
was not that of industry, but the
spoils of victories over their weaker
neighbors. This comparison there
fore cannot be made with peaceful
Industrious nation like our own.
France will possibly be thrown in
the spotlight as an example. The
French Revolution was caused by the
fact that the autocracy owned all the
land, made all the laws, leaving the
poor peasants helpless under fright.
full tax. Neither can this compari-
son be made with our great country
as there is no land owning autocracy
here and the people themselves fiS
the taxes.
The United States combined makes
the greatest industrial nation exist.
ing. Its thousands of factories, farms
and mines are daily turning out mil
lions Of dollars, even far SURPRISING
the mills of fable. Our workers are
the highest paid, and have the bright
est living standard of the world, and
every one is worker. They have
no time or inclination to harbor false
illusions regarding our great govern.
ment much less to conspire to over.
throw it. There is, of course, q
small element composed of day
dreamers known as Socialists, who
think the world could be run by
brotherly love. These dreamers have
become a menace to some countries
but could never get real foOthold
IN this country. After years Of
struggle their little vote of six hun.
dred eighty-four thousand four hun
dred twenty-five votes in the last
election tells the simple tale.
We now come to the other side
All, how different! In our mad
scramble for the dollar of industry We
have thrown every precaution to the
winds, relying wholly on the few
miles across the ocean to protect us
But 1t has been proven by ouI
own ships that it is but simple
matter for a battleship to cross
ocean, followed by transports with
thousands of soldiers. in a short time
Our little feet of thirty-eight battle.
ships, most of them old and out OF
date, could not protect our coast
against big European fleet.
Honorable Judges, how would the
Overwhelming odds strike you in case
Of . fight. Just listen. Great Brit
Ian has eeventy-two battleships, q
thousand smaller vessels, and eight
hundred thousand trained men
Germany has forty-three battleships
hundreds Of small vessels, and four
million soldiers. France has twenty
eight battleships and three million
soldiers. Japan has twenty battle
ships and one million two hundred
thousand soldiers. Russia has sev-
enteen battleships and four million
five hundred thousand soldiers. Aus
tria Hungary has twelve battleships
and two million soldiers, and Italy
fourteen battleships and one million
two hundred thousand soldiers. The
United States, I am ashamed to say
It, has thirty-eight battleships. half
out Of date and less than forty thous-
and trained soldiers. Think Of it.
Russia has four hundred fifty train
ed men to our four. Germany has
four hundred to our four. The lit
tie island Of Japan one hundred and
twenty to our four.
Added to these great odds Is the
fact that the nations just mention
ed, are separated into groups. Take
for instance, England, FRANCE and
Russia are bound by the treaties tc
help one another in war. These
three great nations are called the
Cripple Alliance" and the United
States stands alone, and then has the
Monroe Doctrine on its soldiers
Suppose we would become involved
with any Of these large nations, what
would we have to fight these one
hundred seventeen battleships and
six million three hundred thousand
soldiers? Only thirty-eight battle
ships and forty thousand men, mere
handful in comparison. 9
Ny, with these odds they could
make short work of us, demolishine
our large seacoast cities at will, al
last landing millions of men that
would be utterly impossible to check
Why, ShermanS march through
Georgia would be but {. nat to an
elephant.
Let us see what little Japan with
its twenty battleships and one mil
lion two hundred thousand men
could do US. Japan has no love for
us, and who Knows but what it Is
watching its chance now to suddenly
swoop down on either coast with 81:
or eight hundred thousand soldiers;
and what is there to stop them?
Surely not the three to five thousand
soldiers We have posted there. Why
Japan, taking us by surprise. could
whip us before we were even ready
to fight.
Another source Of weakness is our
lack Of preparedness for war. We
powder mills enough. all
to supply our measely lit
tie forty thousand men and thirty
eight battleships in real war Why
In one month we would be beaten by !:
the fact that We we would not have
powder to fire a single gun.
II 1t were not for lack OF time
could 60 on indefinitely, showing how !,
weak we are, and what an easy prey |
We are to foreign countries, but
must give my worthy opponent a /!
chance to express her surmises on
This all important subject.
thank you.
SAM LANSING.
Miss President and Fellow Students:
My colleague has clearly shown
zoa, that thor. Ia M dan0or fhroo ton.