Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1913-02-16
(By Andrew Carne@ieD


 latest and most startling being Col onel Goethals's estimate of no less than 25,0G0 soldiers as necessary to i guard the Panama Canal. stronglv fortified against naval assault as it is. Under present conditions no sensible man would object to adequate protcc- tion of our whole country by the Army and Navy, but surely this is madness.
 The pending demand is for three battleships this session, but General Wood tells us that the Canal once opened is to require more battleshps than hitherto, differing in this from the President who has assured us that only one battleship per year would be required after the Canal was opened, because our fleet could then be transferred either to the At- lantic or Pacific as required, thus doubling it's efficiency
 MT. Roosevelt holds that there is but one way to maintain nterna- tlonal peace. and that is by keeping our Army and Navy in such a state of preparation that there will be no temptation on the part of someone else to go to war with us Some one else" is indefinate indeed Our Republic has no one who wishes to go to war with her to-day, and has not in our day had one desirous of doing so, through Mr. Roosevelt when President was once strongly fright ened. He had proclaimed his policy to be one battleship year. not to increase the present Navy, but only to maintain it's efficiency. but he ap- piled for four warships next session of Congress. The dreaded foe has not yet appeared. His fears were grOundless. It is stated that we. re- mote as we are from danger, are now spending about 70 per cent of our total expenditures upon Army and Navy, including pensions, while Brit ain, in the very center of the only strong military and naval powers. spends only 43 per cent of hers on Army and Navy. which seems in credible. It is high time we should look into this.
 No one ventures to name the na- tions or nation that has the faintest idea or quarrdling with us, nor have We any idea of quarreling with any All we have to do is to show our con- fidencea in the continuance of pres ent happy relations with all and cease expending either Army or Navy
 Our Military and Naval officials fight imaginary foes when they think of possible invasions of enemies. The Republic, having no designs of terri torial acquisition nor powerful neigh bors, has no enemies to fear. It is the reverse with European lands joined together, each armed against the other as probable invaders. We expect those of our Military and Naval circles to dwell in their dreams upon possible attacks, devising coun~ ter measure of attack and defense -"Tis their vOcation." But to any proposal of interest Army and Navy we hope our President-elect's re- sponse will be-"Pray tell us first against what enemy you need this further protection. Name the power or powers and tell us what object they can have for attacking us, how they can benefit there from-what end in view.' There are today only two Navies greater than our own. those of Britian and Germany. We rank third. Does any sensible man. Naval and Military officers excepted fear war between the two parts of our speaking race? Is not this un- thinkable? As we have outgrown the duel so have We outgrown homicidal ar. English speaking men are never again to assail each other That day has past Has there ever been danger of war between Germany and our selves, members of the same Teutonic race? Never has it been even imag- ined. America, Britain, Germany in China marched their united forces under German general to Pekin and so will these three Powers some day unite again when danger re- quires. We are all of the same Tau- tonic blood and united could insure world peace. The fourth Naval power is our ally of the Revolution, the sister Republic of France. Could even an American admiral or com manding General succeed in believ- ing that war was possible between the two Republics? This would be found beyond even the widest fights of his vivid imagination. The Taft treaty submitting all questions to