The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-23
HEFLIN'S PLEA FOR
REST IN BUILDING
OF BATTLESHIPS

washington December 22.-(Special.)- lr
the recent discussion in the House of the
proposal of a holiday by the nations in
battleship construction, Representative
Hefiin of Alabama contributed an elo-
quent appeal for the resolution, and for
interns tional peace.
Mr.. Hef1in's speech was widely and fe-
yora bly, commented upon, and 1t is repro
duced here for the benefit of his Alabama
friends:
Mr.. Hefin: Mr. Speaker and gentle
men of the House, let the people'of this
republic rejoice and be glad, for their
representatives in Congress are preaching
the gospel of peace and pleading for the
friendship and good will of the nations OF
the earth. We shall obtain that cordial
friendship and lasting good will not by
para ding the seas In threatening manner
with mighty engines of destruction, but
by the humane impulses and Christian
virtues of peace loving, patriotic people
(Applause.) The gentleman from Mis-
souri, (Mr. Hamlin) has said truly that
this government should take the lead in
this great work of establishing peace
among the nations of the world. (Ap-
plsuse) The armor plate trust and the
steel trust, which constitute the ship
builders trust, are forever urging Con-
gress to build more battleshps Millions
of the peoples money are expended build
ing one battleship utter another, and the
same interests in America that profit
greatly whenever we build a battleship
send their agents abroad to urge other
nations to build more battleships because
America is doing SO. They sell material
to this and other countries.
Il am told that whenever we order the
building of a new battleship this ship
builders trust makes a photograph of it
and takes it to England and France and
Germany. The picture is exhibited to
these foreign powers, and they are told
that they had better build more battle
ships. because America has just ordered
a new one to be built. And on 1t goes.
England is told to hurry and build an
other battleship, because America has
just ordered one built. Then Germany is
told to build one because America and
England have increased their navies
And then France is urged to build one,
because America, England, and Germany
are all building more battleships. Then
they come back to America and show US
the pictures of the new battleships of
England, Germany and France We are
urged to build another and so on around
this endless chain of America, England,
France. and Germany. Let us enter into
an agreement with two or three of these
large powers that no more battleships
shall be built for the period of one or two
years.
Instead of the nations engaging in
contest as to who can build the most bat
tleships in a given time, why not pause
where we are and take a rest? We will
save millions of the peoples money and
be relatively as strong as naval power
at the end of a year as we would be IL
we continued to build battleships. For
instance suppose England had five battle
ships, Germany had four, America had
four, and France had three Then the
trusts that furnish the high priced ma
terial for the construction of these battle.
ships here and abroad should induce Eng
land,f Germany, American and France to
add to their respective lists one more
batt.eshp. We would be, relatively
speaking, just where we are now. Eng
land would have six. Germany five, Amer
lea five, and France four.
Let us devote some of our time and en-
ploy some of our enegles and use our good
offices In showing to other nations the
far reaching benefits and everlasting