The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-11-02
CHURCHuL's PROGRAMME.
It is gratifying to SEQ that read

response has been made on this side OF
= the ocean to the proposal Of Winston
Churchill that the naval powers of the
! world suspend their construction pro-
5 grammes for one year. Such "Truce
/. OF God - would prove q marvellous re-
lief to the world that is being weighed
= down with militarism. In the United
! day Mr.. Churchill's suggestion was
Z greeted with enthusiasm, and so ardent
Z did Speaker Clark become in the express
sion of his sentiments that he referred
to the scheme Of armament as the
: greatest idiocy on earth and went 80
far as to describe his fellow Americans
as "great idiots to be engaged in 1t. -
Speaker Clark went to the heart OF
great nations came into agreement
, say Great Britain, America and Ger.
many-the thing would be settled 1t
is we'll that Speaker Clark named Ger
many in this connection. It is doubt
full whether the Churchill plan could
succeed without the cooperation Of
Germany. In fact Great Britain IS chief
rival as naval power is almost GER
tain TO prove the greatest obstacle in
the way Of the truce.
We are greatly deceived If the Teu-
tonic iingoes do not find in the proposal
Of the Lord of the Admiralty q sign
that Great Britain is winded in the
race. If the German people can be con-
cineed that Great Britain at least is
tottering under her naval burden they
will raise an iusistent cry for more bat
;leships To find Great Britain weak
ening has been the hope Of Germany
for the last decade. By building ships
faster than ever in such contingency
Germany could soon place itself on an
equal footing with the first naval pow
er Of 5he world. In view Of these facts
it would seem that there must be a rad
ical change of heart among the Tcutonic
war lords and an extraordinary power
OF persuasion from the outside 70 iu-
duce Germany to Join in q year of rest
, from naval construction.
The panic which afflicted the English
people three and four years ago when
they viewed the titanic strides Of Ger
many in commercial prosperity and mil
itary preparedness has been consider
ably ailayed but the demons of fear
and distrust are only slumbering, If
Germany ignores or aflirmatively re-
jects the proposal for an armistice the
sleeping terror is apt 20 take on new
life.
1t is natural that the Churchill idea
should meet with such q hearty recep-
tion on this side of the water. The
ideals which we have cherished for at
least a generation forbid us to foster
the war spirit or the spirit Of conquest
II we have insisted on a naval pro-
gramme that would keep US npace with
the great powers OF Europe, it has been
with the sole idea Of self-protection
at home and the meeting of our respon-
sibilities abroad. OF late, too. the peace
propaganda has made much progress in
this country, and the prestige of this
ideal has been increased by the fact
that we now have an administration
at Washington which seeks to attain
its ends in our international affairs
without the display or even the threat
Of force.
President Wilson, however, is not apt
to agree with Speaker Clark that the
scheme of armament is "the greatest
idiocy on earth,' for has he not de-
clared in favor OF the three battleship
programmed Even this pacific admin
istration believes in being armed to the
teeth while peaching peace and good
will. Nevertheless, the President wouId
probably fnd himself forced by his own
expressed ideals to accept the Churchill
programme, however much he might
feel that an elaborate naval construc
ton programme was necessitated bv the
Panama Canal and the yellow peril. The
resolution, as framed by Representative
Hensley, puts the problem up TO the
@o"H', ono IL ~ IN passed II Will re-
quire the President TO show his hand.
The resolution reads:
Resolved. That IN the opinion OF the
house OF representatives. the declarn-
ton OF tho lord OF the admiralty OF Great
Britain, the Right Hon. Winston Church
III that the government OF the United
Kingdom is willing and ready TO CO.
operate with other governments TO secure
Tor one year q suspension OF the naval
construction programme. offers the means
for immediate lesscning OF the enormous
burdens OF the people and avoiding the
waste OF investments Ia war materials
That n copy OF this resolution be fur
nished the president, with the request
that. SO far as no can do so. having due
regard for the interests OF the United
States. he use his influence 70 consum-