The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-10-20
AMERICA RANKED
!. AS MINOR power
( IN IT'S DEFENSES
STATE MILITIA AND NAVAL RE.
SERVE A pELUsIoN AS
PROTECTION.
CONGRESSMAN GARDNER SAYS
NAVY SLIPPING INTO 4TH PLACE
Spanish-American War Demonstrated
Lack Of Training--Board Tells Of
Unpreparedness Of Navy-unabie te
Defend Monroe Doctrine Against
World Power-only 1000 Torpedoe'
on Hand-Takes Year to Build.

Washington, Oct. 20.-(SpeciaD-l
Speaking in favor of his resolution au-
thorizing an investigation to determine
whether the United States is prepared
to defend itself against world power
in the event of war, Representative
Gardner of Massachusetts pleads with
the House ito rub its eyes and look
about"
"For a dozen years. he said, 81 have
sat here like a coward in silence and
listening while men have told us that
the United States can safely depend,
in time of war, on the state militia and
on the naval reserve. All the time |
knew it was not so.
| Under the delusion that the militia
affords all the reserve strength we
need we have for ten years let our
navy slough off until today it is bad
! third and sinking rapidly to fourth OF
l fifth place among the navies of the
world.
Cites Spanish-American War.
= "The belief held by the country thai
we can create an army and navy wher
the need arises is wrong from begin
ming to end. You can't improvise {
battleship or a submarine or torpedo
or a sailor after war breaks out. Yol
. can't make a fighting regiment out o
g a militia organization until you hay'
- eliminated lot of men from its ranks
Q "You say it is the same old story
Yes, it is a true old story. We wer
not prepared in 1898 when the Spanish
- American war broke out, and we wer
!, not even prepared by the time
ended.
"The Spanish war was declared II
y wards the end of April. There was
~ call for 125,O00 volunteers at ono
and another call for $4,000 volunteer
in May. Did these volunteers mobili2
equipped with the rapidity of tn
wind? They did not. A good man
have not mobilized yet Several state
Al had not succeeded in furnishing the
IN full quota when the war ended.
Monroe Doctrine in Danger.
"The chief naval board year aft
=, wear dins in our ears the story of Il
unpreparedness of the navy. In
port after report Gen. Leonard Wo
tells like story of the army, and
pleads with us to awaken from o
lethargy and grapple with this qu'
ton, on which our nations safety
pends. Yet we go shambling and sh
ne fling along scattering away millio
oro where the votes grow thickest; and
ing that respect l am just as bad as
a' one else.
ops 1--WE have been saving our C
Sly science by trying to persuade O
In selves that no nation would be so n
Oh as to attack the United States.
we SO sure of that fact any long
Jar Suppose some powerful nation finds
the self inconvenienced by our Monroe
trine? viii it hesitate to attack
because some idealistic statesman
devised a scheme for arbitration?
.Dcl About Half Enough Men.
~ "Do you know that we need 100
men to man our present modest
'e~" and auxiliaries. and that we have
10000 in the navy and 5000 In
naval militia? In other words,
have $4,000 men to make sailors Of
Ger fore we can mobilize our feet"
.ided Mr.. Gardner answered the argur
ID to that the German submarine seen
, the be more than holding its own ag'
and the greater British navy with
Brit statement that the United States
leedy lonly 1000 torpedoes, or one for
tube with which our ships are Al