The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1915-09-30

than double the annual appropriations heretoore) ap-
preparation proposition for the Army and Navy.
Whether Congress will vote for such immensely in
creased appropriation depends the Presidents at
titude If he insists the increase, Congress will vote
for it. If he does not insist in my opinion Congress
will not vote for It, This answers your specific ques
tons.
In further answer to your general inquiries,
shall not vote for any increase in the Naval Appro-
priaton Bill for extra-batteshps program If the
Government has any extra money to spend, and must
spend it extra increase Of Naval Construction,
then, in my judgment, it should be spent the in
creased construction Of submarines, torpedo destroy
ers, scout-ships and other auxiaries, including air
craft and in charging capacity to manufacture
and lay mlnes-lnain y submarines and mines-(the
laying Of mines is function Of the Army, and not
Of the Navy, however) and not additional dread
naughts batteships. If increase in the Naval
Appropriation Bill the last Bill is made, think it
wiser that every dollar authorized and appropriated
for construction should be for submarines and 9TH
er smaller craft above mentioned. For the cost of one
or two dreadnaughs put into such craft including the
auxiliaries, would have better proportioned and
efficient Navy than if put into dreadnaughts,
and most certainly efficient for defense. If this
has not yet demonstrated the useessness of
the modern dreadnaught, it has surely demonstrated
the marvellous usefulness and absolute necessity of the
submarine a weapon Of offense and defense. For
the cost of one dreadnaught, with the submarines
have, and those building and authorized, could
build enough to keep the combined batlesip fleet of
the world hundreds Of miles from shores. We
would have the largest submarine fleet in the world,
larger than Great Britain's and Germany's combined
at the outbreak Of the present For the cost of
dreadnaught could build from twenty-fv to thr-
ty submarines, many Germany had at the be-
ginning of the war Who, unprejudiced and disin-
teresed in outside Of the Navy in the light of the
experience Of the present does not know that twen
ty-fve ten or five, we'll equipped and well
manned submarines, efcacious for offense
and defense than four dread
naughts? The dreaonaug ght costs $14 900 and up
wards requires a thousand men and officers to man
her; million and half dollars more for her
upkeep including crew; while submarine only from
100000 100000; requires only about twenty-five
and officers to man. and its upkeep is negligible as
compared with battleshp OF all craft it is by
far the cheapest in and money and most effective
protection. Hasn't the submarine in this fully vim
dicated itself? Have not three little German subma-
rnes, costing each less than half million dollars,
and manned by not over twenty-five men, destroyed
nearly 10 per of a big warship fleet of Great
Britain, costing $75,000OOO and over two thous
and lives, and in addition destroyed many thousands
of tonnage of smaller craft and merchant vessels!
To accomplish what these three submarines costing
little over million dollars, with seventy-tive men,
did, would take in naval engage ment more than a
dozen batteships and cruisers costng according to
what we paw more than $1O0O00OOO, and from Z 900
to 10000 officers and men, with the probability even
if successful of losing many OF the vessels and thous
ands Of lives. Did not little submarine, costing
less than half million dollars, with only twenty-five
men, wormng itself through thousands Of miles OF
sea- creep into the Drdanelles send to the bottom five
warships Of the Allies and disable the Others driving
the straggng crippled, remnant Of the Allies fleet
out, while it survived unharmed and untouched? 10
accomplish this it would have taken eight or ten war
ships, costing from $600OO0OO to $10O0OO,OOO, and
from 1000 to 10000 men, with the risk Of many ships
being destroyed and many lives lost Germany has her
big, magnificent fleet of battlesps cruisers, etc., lying
unmolested in her harbor. Great Britain and her AL
lies have battlesip feet nearly four times as large
and powerful and torpedo feet over four times as
large. Why don't the Allies go in and destroy the
German fleet? You answer, submarines and mines.
That answers largely the question OF defenslve
preparedness.'' II a few submarines and mines (and
Germany hasn't as many submarines we have) can
protect and keep unmolesed the German feet and her
harbor and hold at bay for hundreds Of miles fleet
four times as big and powerful, why couldn't sub
marines and mines protect with equal assurance our
fleet and shores?
But why should we be in such hurry to make
big appropriations for the Army and the Navy? Why
should Congress make such wild rush to tax the peo
pie more? Where is the necessity or the wisdom? If
there ever was time in the history Of our Govern
ment when the Administration, Congress, and the peo-
ple could consider with deliberations and without
ctement and without haste, military and naval con
struction policy it is Just stop and give a mo-
ments calm thought to the situation:
1st. Our Navy and Army is stronger, better
Will, ANN and n re