Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1915-12-09
WILSON'S PROGRAM.

To every American citizen who
realizes that the wearing Of a
weapon by an individual is an
incentive to a hostile act toward
some ether person, and IS the
cause of homicide end murder
the program of national arma-
ment prepared by President Will
son is disheartening. On one
hand we have a Peace Ship bear
ing people on an experimental
attempt to reconcile warning ma
tons where the fighting is kept
up by the great men against the
will and inclination of t. e peo-
pies. and on the other hand IN
the same week we have the Pres
ident of the same nation asking
its Congress for an increase in
armament that means heavy ex-
pense and increased taxes.
Expenditure and taxation would
be trivial matters if this arma-
ment did not place US in the same
plane with the German and other
European governments, which
year after year have added to
their war machinery until they
simply got so exalted they had
to use them. The United States
as a nation should be above any
such program as this. 1t should
set to the would on example of
the arts of peace rather than of
preparedness for war. 1t should
tell the world it fears no war
with any country for it is not 60
ing to treat any country in any
way but honorably and honestly.
The arts of peace will make our
country great and not the arts of
war.
Here is the undesirable pro-
gram as outlined by President
Wilson:
"We shall the first year provide for
the construction of two battleships,
t Wo battle cruisers, three scout cruis.
ers, fifteen destroyers, five fleet sub
marines, twenty-five coast submarines,
two gunboats and one hospital ship;
the second year two battleships, one
scout cruiser, ten destroyers, four fleet
fifteen coast submarines.
one gunboat and one fuel oil ship; the
thirh year, two battleships, one battle
cruiser, two scout cruisers, five de-
stroyers, two fleet submarines and if
teen coast submarines; the fourth
year, two battleships two battle cruis
ers, two scout cruisers. ten destroyers,
two fleet submarines, fifteen coast sub
marines; the fourth year, two battle
ships, tNo battle cruisers, two scout
cruisers, ten destroyeIs, two fleet sub
marines, fifteen coast submarines, one
ship and one fuel oil
ship; anu the fifth year, two battle
ships, one battle cruiser, two scout
cruisers, ten destroyers, two fleet sub
marines, one gunboat, one ammuni-
ton ship and one repair ship.
To get all these war imple-
ments he suggests continuing
the present taxes, and adding
new ones. For instance, he says
the income tax could be made
more far-reaching by lowering
the exemptions. To quote his
own words here are a few other
taxes viii n might be laid:
"a 1 per cent tax per gallon on gas
oline and naptha would yield, at the
present estimated production, $40. 900, :
900; a tax of SOC per horsepower on
automobiles and internal explosion
engines, $15, 000, 900; stamp tax on
bank checks, probably $tS. 900, 600; a
tax of 25c per ton on pig iron, $40, :
900. 900, a tax of SOC per ton on fabri-
Gated iron and steel, probably $40. 600, =
900.
After all this expenditure and
additional taxation we will have
a lot of war ships that in ten
years will be junk, if not sent to
the bottom before that by some
nation we have enraged because
we have put achip on our should
err and invited them to knock it
off. And in the entire message
there is not a word for good
roads, which the entire country
desires.