Omaha daily bee., 1915-11-11
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SILVER CREEK, Neb., Nov. 10-To the
Editor Of The Bee: When after the civil
war Andrew johnson was at war with
congress over his plan OF reconstructing
the seeding states my policy" he called
IL, old Zachariah Chandler, United States
senator from Michigan, said President
johnson had no business to have a policy
that the reconstruction Of the southern
states was a matter that belonged TO con-
gress and not to the president
In a similar way President Wilson has
no business to have a policy as to pre-
paredness." II he thought the country
was not in a proper state of defense he
might, If he saw fit, properly call the at
tention of congress to the situation and
recommend that the country be put in a
state Of defense, but he has no right to
go before the country and before con-
gress with detailed plan, and much less
has he right to attempt to make such
a plan an administration" measure and
force it through congress, as we have a
right to believe he intends to try to do.
such work is revolutionary II is the
business of the president to execute the
laws, not to make them II this matter
OF preparedness were to be left to the
free action of congress, as it should be,
how does President Wilson know that
some congressman, or senator, IL IL were
thought best to do anything at all, might
not propose a better plan of national de-
Tense than his own?
1 think 1 have better plan myself,
and to make brief presentation of It Is
the purpose of this communication.
What I propose is that the United
States should enter into defensive naval
alliance with England.
suggest as to the main feature of such
an alliance, that IL should provide:
l. That the combined naval forces Of the
two powers should be used to prevent an
attack upon either, or any Of their colo
mics or dependencies.
p That no attack from the sea upon
any country OF the western hemisphere
should be permitted.
3 That after the conclusion Of peace in
Europe, England should not add to the
strength Of its navy, and that the United
States should not add to the strength of
its navy after it had been brought up to
a point something like approaching that
OF England, as might be agreed.
l. That no other nation should be per-
mitted to materially increase its naval
any new war vessel. or others in its place.
would be destroyed on sight
O. That France, Italy. Japan and other
nations as might be agreed, should be
permitted to become parties to the alli-
ance II they wished, sharing its benefits
and responsibilities on equal terms.
With such an alliance in existence the
parties TO II would be absolutely secure
against attack from the sea We should
not ony be spared the enormous expense
OF putting ourselves in a state Of defense
against the whole earth. but would not
need even the regular army that we now
have. An army of 5000 men for guard
ana escort duty and dress parade would
De enough; and no national guards or
organized militia would be required ex-
cept as each state might determine for
ITSELF with a view to preserving order
within its own borders England and all
It's colonies, with the exception OF India.
ana Egypt, being safe from attack from
Foreign foes, could disband its armies
(aiter this war is over) and devote all
It's energies TO the arts of peace. as II
would be only too glad to do, and re-
operating from the effects of this ter
rible war.
1t will be urged that such an alliance
Is against the traditional policy of this
country. Admitted. But 1t does not fol-
low that because Washington's advice
against permanent alliances has been
good up to this day. it Is to be good al
ways. Conditions have changed beyond
even the widest flights OF the imagina-
ton, and we should pursue such course
as sound judgment dictates as to what
is best under these changed conditions.
It will be said that such an alliance
would be bitterly opposed by, both Irish
Americans and German-Americans. By
some, yes. but think not necessarily by
the great majority Of them. who, be-
lieve. are at heart really good and true
Americans.
President Wilson's scheme of prepared
ness would be certain to be a failure for
present purposes, and would even invite
the attacks II is intended to shield us
from. For II any European power is to
attack US 1t would be Immediately after
this war, and, in all reason, before we
could possibly put ourselves In a state
| OF defense; and the same would be true
| of Japan. Either a European power or
Japan desiring to make war on US could
hardly be expected to be so polite and
considerate of our interests as 20 wait
until we were fully armed.
For more than 100 years. with boun-
dairy line between them OF more than
1900 miles. the United States and England
have lived at peace. neither having a fort
or battleship, a soldier or gun to use
against the other; neither has anything
TO fear from the other; both love liberty
and hate military power, and in such an
alliance each has everything to gain and
nothing to lose. Such an alliance would
be invincible; II would mean the absolute
and permanent peace Of half the civilized
world. and would take the world more
than half way on the road to the longed
| for goal OF universal peace.
CHARLES WOOSTER
Jobs for the JObIess.
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