Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-09-03
URGES s5OO,OOO,OOO
FOR INCREASED NAVY
Col. R. M. Thompson, New Head
of League, Advocates lmme-
dale Action.
WANTS BOYS FOR ARMY.
Would Raise United States Standing
Army of 100000 Men Made
Up OF Boys.

Col. Robert NJ. Thompson was elect
i ed president of the Navy League of the
United States by the board of directors
in New York recently. to succeed Gen.
! Horace Porter, who declined reelection
General Porter has been president of
the organization since 1905 and on his
refusal to serve I'm that Office he was
named as honorary president
Arthur b. Lambert. of st. Louis pres
/ ident of the st. Louis Aero Club, and
Henry b. JOY. of Detroit, Mich, were
elected second and third vice-presi-
dents, respectively, these being newly
created office A number of plans for
| a continuation Of the Leagues efforts
| to obtain from Congress Legislation for
larger navy were adopted by the di-
rectors. although their nature was not
disclosed at the meeting.
A report submitted by Arthur H.Dad
mnu, the secretary. stated that the
Leagues campaign to arouse sentiment
for an increased navy had been con-
Quoted in tw enty-one states, with mark
ed results The Leagues board of di-
rectors adopted a report of its com
mittee on legislation recommending
/ that Congress give the same consid-
Grafton TO the advice of the general
board of the navy in planning national
defense as it gave to the advice of the
commission of engineers that recon-
mended policies for the isthmian canal.
The necessity of a council of national
defense to bring together the chief ex-
ecutive officers, the chairmen of the
] congressional committees and all the
experts dealing with naval and militia
ry affairs also was urged. The com
mittee proposed naval reserve of 5O,-
/ 600 men, to be formed by the enlist
ment of men honorably discharged from
I the navy and by seamen of the mer-
chant marine. A strong merchant ma.
| rine for foreign trade was declared in
the report to be indispensable to well
lproportioned and adequate navy"
Speaking at the League dinner. Col.
Thompson declared that to avoid be-
coming entangled in war with one of
the fighting organizations of Europe,
the United Sta tes must appropriate
$500 600, 900 for a vast naval increase
1T once, and must raise a standing
army of 100000 young men between
| the ages of eighteen aud twenty"
Colonel Thompson Sid the standing
army should consist of boys, and that
there should not be a man, except Off
GERS, above the age of twenty-one. ~
say this he said. because in all real
! fighting il is being proved that the
boys are those who make the real fight
! ers Instead of being a drawback
however, this fact makes the problem
Of our national defense simpler. We
have proved that schools snch as West
Point and Annapolis not only create
the best soldiers there are, but that
they develop remarkably fine, we'll ed
ucated men, who make the best citizens
when they go into private life
Colonel Thompson pointed out that
every year there are 10000 boys in this
country who reach the age of eighteen
There would be no loss of time on the
part of the boys in giving them militia
ry training, he added, and ther would
be no economic loss to the country.