The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1915-11-25
Claude kitchin's Statement on the
Nations Preparedness--He Gives Facts

MIR. Editor:
The SEVEN SEAS MAGAZINE,
the organ of the Navy League (the
organization which has created, by
deception and misrepresentation, the
apparently big sentiment for the
militarism and navalism now pro-
posed, and which seems to have
stampeded many patriotic, and US
ually levelheaded people) declared
in its October issue that had the
right to vote for or against" the
preparedness measure, but that /
had neither the right nor should
he Cd be allowed even to discuss it
in the House, etc. | trust, how
ever, that the press of my State,
though most of it differ widely with
me, will not refuse the privilege
which | ask, to express through it
to the people some Of the reasons
for my position and give SOME OF
THE FACTS with respect to the
! question which has been withheld
from, or certainly not given to the
public. | ask this privilege, with
confidence that it will be granted j,
especially in view of the fact that
many of the State papers have sess
verely criticized me, some going to
the extent of bitterly denouncing
me. have no criticism to make Of
the press and the people in the State
who differ with me- Having heard
only one side, and owing to the tons
of literature Of deception and mis-
representation on the subject, being
poured out daily to the people by
the metropolitan press and mag
aZines-many, perhaps, innocentjv-
and by the so-calied patriotic So
cieties." of which the Navy League
is the head, it is but natural that q
large majority of the people should
oppose my position. With your pre-
mission, shall now proceed to give
some of the facts and reasons which
impel me to oppose the big military
and naval program which will be
proposed to Congress.
l. As to the actual condi-
ton OF our Navy.
All the talk and writings by the
Societies about our utter help
,essness, our dangerous unpre-
paredness," our "defenseless CON
ciEron,' our growing weakness, -
our Having fallen to the third or
fourth grade Of inferiority in naval
strength" etc., is pure tommy-rot,
BASED NOT ON A SINGLE FACT
Let it be first understood that in
the tPreparedness'' program the
Navy of Great Britain IS eliminated
This was so testified by the Secre
} tary of the Navy, Admiral Fletcher,
and other naval experts. and ever
by Hobson, in the hearings before
the Naval Committee at The last
Session of Congress, all declaring
that we do not need or desire Navy
as strong as hers. No; = outstanding
the metropolitan press. magazine
writer's and the ''Patrlutic SccieIies
and our Navy Yearbook (which was
exposed in the last Congress. anf
viii! be so exposed in the next, a:
unreliable ard misleading,) THE
FACT Is, that we have, built an(
building, THE STRONGEST AMI
MOST POWERFUL NAVY IN THE
WORLD, except that Of Grea
2rtain (Which is eliminated as a
bove stately OUR NAVY Is
STRONGER THAN THAT OF GER
MANY, FAR SUPERIOR TO THAI
OF FRANCE, MORE tn AN TWICE
AS STRONG AS THAT OF JAPAN
OR OF ANY OF THE OTHER MA
lions Admiral Fletcher, the high
mander Of the Atlantic Fleet, tn
man wto .vii have to do the fjghtin:
if any is to be done, (phose judg
ment on naval subjects the Secretar.
of the Navy. before the Naval Com
mittee, declared he had sooner tax
than that ef any man in the world
EXPIRE ssly declared, at the nava
hearings during the last session 0
Congress, that we had a Navy, "SU
PERIOR TO THAT OF GERMAN
OR ANY OTHER NATION, EA
: CEPT GREAT BRITAIN" In az
swer to the question, If in wa
= with Germany. could OUR NAV
e SUCCESSFULLY RE 5IST THA'
D OF GERMANY?' he answere
8 YES Captain Winterhalter, ar
s. other naval expert. tes tt ii d
s JUDGE WITHERSPOON HA
B PROVED THAT OUR NAVY |
8 SUPERIOR TO THAT OF GEE
B MANY ANDIAGREE WITH HIM
& Admiral Badger, Ex-Commander Q
q the Atlantic Fleet "a member of tn
s General Board of :he Navy declare
b that no one had ever heard him sa
r that Germany had a superior Nav
IS to ours"
The facts Of record, the tests lai
81 down by naval experts here an
r abroad, and the naval authorities c
the world (all Of which have befor
me as | write) confirm the truth c
this testimony.
The armored fleet Of German.
4 consisting of battleships, dreat
naughts and predreadnaughts. al
mored cruisers and battle-cruiz Ell
(built and building) in number is 5
Ito say nothing of the vessels .os
since January l, 1915 } The fee
of the United States, Of the sam
vessels, is in number tiftysix, wit
ever 40, 900 more tonnage. tNumbe
and tonnage, however, are net tt
criterion of superiority. Of twent
of Germany battleships listed (
our Navy Yearbook, sixteen are n
able to go more than LOCO mil
from base TO engage in naval Wa