The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1915-12-03
Friday, december 3rd, 1915
THE REASONABLE VIEW OF
PREPAREDNESS.

Unuuestonably the most diff
cult feature of any program OF
national defense is that which
concerns preparedness on land,
saws the Baltimore Sun. Mr..
Kitchin and others who crltl-
cize the idea of strengthening the
navy and our coast defenses will,
we believe, have comparatively
few followers in or out OF Con-
gress after the subject has been
carefully and fully discussed.
The great majority of Americans
can understand. even without the
aid of experts, that the most
important step in any program
of national protection is to pro-
vide effective means of keeping
an enemy from landing on our
shores. AS long as we can keep
him from getting very near us,
lust so long we maintain the su-
periority of our geographical
position. That advantage has
been greatly lessened, of course,
bv steam, by the invention OF
long-range guns, and by aero
planes, but it still remains true
that an efficient and adequate
navy and sufficient coast de-
lenses, mines and submarines
constitute our logical first line
of defense, and one which, pro-
perly strengthened, would form
a tough proposition for any
enemy which might move
against US.
We, therefore, do not antlcl-
pate. after this matter has been
thrashed out, that there will be
any weighty opposition to that
part of the salty program which
contemplates the necessary ex-
penditures for this purpose.
Even those who are remote from
points of possible danger will,
we arr, sure refuse to shut their
eyes to al obviously common
sense PROPOSITION. or to allow
themselves TO be Influenced by
selfish and short-sighted consld-
erations, If, because OF a navy
too small for the work, and OF
lack of proper shore defense, a
large and veteran foreign army
should be able to make a Landing
either on our Atlantic or Paclflc
coasts, the inhabitants OF the IN
terror would soon discover that
they had very direct and per-
sonal interest in the outcome.
Opinions differ very widely as to
how large our navy should be,
but there is no difference of
opinion with regard to the vital
relation which the navy occupies
with respect to the protection of
the country. Even Mr.. Bryan
and his spokesman, Mr.. Kitchin,
would not undertake to do away
with it entirely, and we assume
that Mr.. Kitcnin would not adj
vocate stopping all naval con-
struction and trusting simply to
what we have already.
So far as the navy is concern
ed, therefore, the question I'M
der debate is already merely as
to the size and scope of the in
crease. Naval experts and the
vast majority Of those who have
given any study to the subject
have come to the deliberate con-
clusion that an emergency con-
fronts us such as has never con-
fronted US before, and that we
must quicken our naval construc-
ton pace to meet it. We have
a navy that in many particulars
is as good as the best, but it is
weak in certain essentials, and
1T IS not large enough for the
task of protection which it NAV
be called upon to perform. The
Administration naval program
IS rot a radical one. It is moder
ate and sane, and even the
farmers of the Middle West and
those Of Mr.. Kitchin's district
who now oppose it's adoption,
will IN a month or two, we pre-
dict, realize its reasonableness
and be numbered among it's sup
porters.
When we come to the question
OF strengthening our land forces,
we reach a subject of greater
difficulty. In dealing with that
we have 20 combat not only in
herlted pref ices and traditions,
but the false security that comes
from century of immunity.
There is no one now living to
impress upon US the ease with !
which the British promenaded