Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-11-22
Great Enthusiasm for Preparedness Shown Augusta Meeting

MEN forget all except military ne
cessity and we saw how little protec-
ton treaties afforded US: how little of
the real spirit Of the Christ of the An
des there was in the world
I'VE have heard our President speak
ing at the Manhattan club, saying: Here
is the country God has builded. What
will you do with It" And the answer
comes:
Protect it,"
"The ocean has been thought to be
our great bulwark, but science has
made it a mill pond. Weeks have be-
come hours in crossing the Atlantic;
today Europe is our next door neighbor
and bristling with guns and devlish ma
chinations in the hands of men who
know no law but military necessity
We have seen the captain of sub
marine aim his torpedo at an unarmed
merchant steamer and send babes to
their graves locked in each others
arms.
America First
And what are we to do here in
America, for there is much to be done.
1t must be America first. There should
10 10 pdTIlSdNSulp AL tuo movement
to put our country in the state of pre-
paredness that will ensure our safety.
That's where your representative will
stand. (Applause). My experience has
been that if you get below the exterior
Of the average resident Of this coun-
try. be he Methodist Baptist, Catholic,
Democrat, Republican, Progressive. or
Socialist, you will find in him a true
American and thank God for that.
Spend More Money
What must we do? First, spend
more money. There is one thing about
this country that is invariably so; the
people get what they want. 1 think l
should be given credit as d politician
for once in declaring for what the
people want now-preparedness
The cost of naval preparedness has
increased greatly even in recent years.
In 1900 first class battleship cosi
5,00O.0 900. The Nevada, which was
launched the other day and had her
speed trial in Maine waters, cost be-
tween $17,000,000 and s1S,O00,000. She
is three times the tonnage of the
Oregon, whose trip around the Horn
we watched so intently and twice that
of the Connecticut, Fighting Bob
Evans flagship.
The Advisory Board
In 1903, the government appointed
an advisory board in naval affairs;
an aggregation of experts who were
qualified to know It's needs OF the
navy to maintain us among the world
powers. The recommendations of this
board were made after careful study.
But Congress never once has FOL
lowed in full the recommendations of
this board. Congressman have listened
to the people back home; they knew
how the people felt.
Your Senator Hale of Maine, for
many years chairman Of the Senate
committee on naval affairs, in 1900
stood up in the floor of Congress and
told the senators that the appropria-
ton for the navy would be $70.00o,000.
Now it is s149, 00o,0 900. more than
double, and this must still be increas-
ed. The navy is our first arm of de-
Tense. The foreign invader must be
repealed by our men, off, war before he
| can land.
navy has said, that ship for ship and
man for man. our navy will equal any
navy on the face Of the earth. Cap
plause.) But there are not ships or
men enough. The esd Congress voted
for five dreadnougnts, IS destroyers,
is submarines, fuel ship and hos
pital ship. The secretary of the navy
now wants 10 more battleships to be
built at the rate of two a year for the
next five years. six battle cruisers,
10 scout cruisers, Is seagoing sub
marines, So harbor submarines, a
fuel ship and a hospital ship. He
wants s90,000O00 in addition to the
s140,000,000 and in the next five he
wants to spend 100000, 900 on our
navy.
1T seems an enormous sum, but in
the end it may prove economy See
England, which has spent eight bill
lion dollars in the present war and is
about to spend two billions more be-
fore the last of February. She is
spending s2500.0OO daily and the AL
lies are spending 100000, 900 daily.
Il am still of the opinion that we
need an even more elaborate program
than that outlined by the secretary of
the navy, still more dreadnoughts and
submarines. But whether Congress
will think so is another matter.
To Store Munitions
1--WE need to store munitions of war
and Congress will be asked to spend
sS,O00,O00 for this purpose, then ST.
100000 a year for several years, grad
ually decreasing. Two million dollars
is asked for aviation. small amount.
but a start in the right direction.
Increase the Army
"The army, too. should come in for
| an increase. 1t is very small, hardly
more than enough to provide police
force for several of our large cities
The secretary Of the army advises in
| creasing the regular army from 1o0,-
900 men to 100000, raising a continental
army of 100000 and increase the ma
tional guard.
Support Of Women
/ I'm this movement we need the sup
port OF the women Of America, lust
| as in our wars they have been of great
assistance. They can do much. We
must all unite in the defense Of our
country and we must be nrepared To