The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1915-11-25

every characteristic OF fighting
ship digger guns, heavier armor,
stronger ship is far superior 10
ANY ONE OF THE TWENTY
GERMAN BATTLESHIPS LISTED
BY OUR YEARBOOK. Four of
the German ships listed by our Year
Book as dreadnaughts are in reality
not dreadnaughts, and are shown
by one of the highest naval author
tiles in the world (Jane's Fighting
Ships to be DEFECTIVE, UNSUC-
CEoSFUL SHIPS. and SO known to
be by every student ofsnaval af-
fairs. The last five dreadnaughts
authorized by Congress are superior
to any six dreadnaughts Germany
has, built or building. Our ships
are better, larger, stronger and
more heavily armored. Our guns
are larger, stronger and more ef-
fective. Of the big guns OF the ships,
twelve inches and over, we have 284,
while Germany has only 1914 (built
aud huilding.)
II the Navy of Great Britain is to
be minated in the Preparedness
pro9r am, which our naval experts
say it should be, and if we have a
navy now SUPERIOR TO THAT
OF GERMANY OR ANY OTHER
NATION IN THE WORLD, except
Great Britain, FOR WHOM OR
AGAINST WHOM DO WE PRO-
POSE TO PREPARE by the fabu-
lous increase of our naval appropri-
a,ions which the proposed program
requires?
WE ARE PREPARED.
Instead of ''our Navy growing
weaker as the metropolitan press,
the patriotic Societies" and the
jingoes and war traffickers would
have the people believe, it is GROW
ING BIGGER. STRONGER, MORE
EFFICIENT AND BETTER EQUIP
PED EVERY YEAR. In the two
years of Wilson S Administratio the
naval building program authorized
is TWICE AS LARGE AND COSTLY
as the LAST TWO YEARS OF
TAFT'S ADMINISTRATION AND
LARGER AND MORE COSTLY
BY So, 600, 600 THAN THE ENTIRE
FOUR YEARS OF ROOSEVELT'S
LAST TERM AND PRACTICALLY
AS LARGE AND COSTLY AS THE
ENTIRE FOUR YEARS OF TAFT'S
AD u NlSrRATION. There is today
| OVER SO PER CENT MORE CON-
STRUCrION GOING ON FOR
/ OUR NAVY THAN ON TIE -1ST.
DAY OF MARCH, 1918, or at any
other time in the history Of our
country. We have nearly 100 per
cent more torpedoes, mines, mine
layers, powder and other munitions
than we had on the 1st. day Of March,
1918, and steadily increasing them.
). We have under Mr.. Wilson's and
) Mr.. Daniels Administration, FOR
THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS, THE
FULL COMPLEMENT OF ENLIST
ED MEN AUrHCRIZED BY La ".
) WE ARE PREPARING.
In view Of the foregoing facts,
was not President Wilson right when
he said in his message to Congress
December, 1914, IN opposing the pro-
gram of the Hobsons and Gardners:
: LET THERE BE NO MISCON-
CEPTION. THE COUNTRY HAS
BEEN MISiNFORMED. WE HAVE
NOT BEEN NEGLIGENT OF MA.
TIONAL DEFENCE.
=. AS to the enOrmity OF
the proposed proSram--.
what it is:
, The heretofore large and growing
: expenditures for our Navy hac
: aroused the people of the country in
to asking" where shall it end?" Sec
: retary Daniels, in his report to the
| of
J cember, 1914. said (and he was but
i substantially repeating what hac
f been said in the British Parliament
the German Reichstag, the French
Z Assembly, and by prominent states
: men the world over relative to the
: armament expenditures of their re
r spective countries for the last sev
Z eral years:) 1.-The naval appropri
T ations in our own country HAVE
! DOUBLED IN A DOZEN YEARS
: and have gone up by leaps ane
:: bounds in other countries. IF THIS
5 MAD RIVALRY IN CONSTRUC
5 TION GOES ON THE BURDEN
: WILL BECOME TOO HEAVY FOF
, ANY NATION TO BEAR" In hi:
f report of December, 1913, he say:
e ''The growing cost of dreadnaughts
j of powder ana Of everything tina
Y makes an efficient Navy give'
y reason to pause. THE HEAVY EX
PENSE commands national and in
d ternationai consideration Ten year
d ago our largest battleships cost $5,
f 282. 900. The next dreadnaugh
e will cost Sl4.O44 00O." (The dread
f naughts hereafter to be authorized
will cost from $18,0O0,000 to $40,
;. OOO,OOO,, and in an interview tn
/ Secretary says all ship materials ant
: munitions Of war have gone up ovel
s 80 per cent? He asks When i
2 this ACCELERATING EXPENDI
It TURE TO Be REDUCED?
It II it is not hastened by appeals f.
e the peaceful settlement Of nationa
h differences, the day is not far dis
r tant when the GROWING BUR
e DENS OF TAXATION FOR EX
Y CESSIVE WAR AND NAVAL EX
y PENDITURES WILL CALL /
It HALT"
IS Now, in the face Of the deplorabl
r truth recited by tue Secretary; in tn
Y face of the fact that we have Nav
n superior to that Of Germany or an
IS other nation, except that Of Gres
" Britain; in the face Of the fac. tha
a our Navy is growing larger, strong
L L.