The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-09-04
T|LlMAN FAv0RS STRONG NAVY
THINKS CONGRESS WILL PRO.
VIDE ADEQUATE FORCE.
senator Expresses Confidence in
WilsOn-Always Sure President
Would Win in His Negotiations
With Germany.

Win Gcfmany.
Washington. Sept. 1.-Senator Till
man of South Carolina, chairman of
the senate committe on naval affairs,
held brief conference with President
wilson today on proposed legislation
lor national defense. He said after
leaving the White House, that the
chairmen Of the senate and house mil
itary and naval affairs committees
Will meet in formal conference at
the White House after the president
has received reports and recommen-
dations from Secretaries Garrison and
Daniels.
Il am for safe and sane policy Of
naval and military expansion" said
senator Tillman, "and l believe that
the people will indorse whatever pro-
gramme the president proposes to
congress. / think it is safe to say
that President Wilson, in his recon-
mendations to congress, will strike a
happy middle ground between the
damned jingo who would involve this
country in war and the advocate of
peace at any price.
Il take no stock in this talk about
an appropriation of $5O0,OOO,OOO for
the army and navy and l do not be-
lieve that any other sane member of
congress does. l believe that there
will be increases in the naval apppro-
priation for defensive weapons of
warfare.
In making up our programme we
Will not pay any attention to the in
fernal fool lingo who would lead the
Democratic party into something from
which 1t would never escape, but we
Will prepare to defend ourselves and
not let the other fellow catch us with
our breeches down.
There is no real demand where l
have been for an extravagant expendi-
ture of money on navy and an army
Just because lot Of foreign nations
are In a bloody war. We are going
to carry out the Democratic platform
and provide an adequate navy. There
will be number Of increases in ap-
preparations for submarines and other
defensive sea craft, by the time con-
gress meets we will be able to come
to some reasonable conclusion as to
what we should play up and what
we should play down."
senator Tillman was at the White
House about the time the news uf the
German con ncessious was carried 70 tho
president This afternoon. before
leaving for his home, he said: y am
not SUI priscd at the result Of the con-
troversy over the sinking of the Lusi-
tania and the Arabic, which carried
Americans as passengers. / expected
that the president would win. for he
was right. He had the law on his
side. and was acting for humanity.
Any man with common sense and Or
binary ability to digest information
realized the justice Of President Will
sons contentious in Votesting to Ger
many for sinking passenger ships car
rying noncombatants without giving
the legal and due warning.
II never thought for a moment but
what the German government would
finally yield to President Wilson, for
1t could not afford to do otherwise.
This country does not want to 90 to
war with Germany or Great Britain
and her allies. but l believe that the
people OF the United States would
have stood behind the president il he
had broken off diplomatic relations
had Germany not agreed to discon-
tinue the illegal acts OF it's submarine
commanders.
If the president had gone off half
cooked, without being patient and Civ
ing Germany time to consider seri-
ously the view of the United States.
we might have been plunged in war.
Col. Roosevelt said we were not NOV
ing fast enough; that we should fight.
agree with May Irwin in her letter
to the president-that the fool killer
ought to be sent around tho Jvn;toa
States"