Evening journal., 1915-11-22
SENATOR'S AND CONGRESSMAN
FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE PLANS;
SOCIALIST MEETING OPPOSES


armament represented by an army or
a navy or both This nation has had
some semblance OF an army and a
navy ever since its foundation. These
forces were provided for the defence
of the country and not for aggression,
because this nation has. not been one
Of conquest The army and navy OF
this country can therefore be consid-
cred as the national insurance pol
icies: just as necessary and essential
as insurance OF various kinds are to
corporations or individuals. There is /
just as much logic in arguing for a /
total sbsence Of armaments among ma I
tions as there would be in putting for
ward the proposition 10 do away with 4
all forms of insurance. This world
is made up of the people who live /
upon the surface of its globe. and, al /
! though the various peoples are divided
into many nations and races. a nation /
or a country cannot be considered in
the abstract because the human be-
ings who go to make up the nations
are the guiding force within each sep
arate entity In other words. so long
as human nature remains as Il Is, ma
tons will fight and quarrel among
themselves in the same manner as do
the individual members OF society. II
your views and my views on the fore
going are diverging rather than con-
verging, there, Of course, would not
be much use Of my continuing, but
assuming that you agree with me on
the general proposition advanced in
the above paragraph, would proceed
with the subject as it relates to the
United States.
IF this country is 10 continue TO
occupy the place among the family OF
nations gained for il by our fore
fathers, il Is patent to all who analyze
our defenciye forces that they are in
adequate for the purposes for which
they We're created, which I will reiter-
ate again are for the defence of the
country and rather for preparedness
70 enforce peace than preparedness
for war.
up until the middle OF the last cen.
Jury the physical isolation Of this
country, accentuated by the two larg-
est oceans on either side OF us, was
one OF the greatest barriers for the
countrys defence. Il is unnecessary
, to go into details in order to bring 10
, which have annihilated space and i'm
turn have conquered the oceans.
: These very oceans at the present day
instead of acting as barriers now pre-
sent the most vulnerable points in our
s lcountry's defenses.
d "All the nations which might be
y considered among the first six powers
I, own or control merchant marine
vastly superior to that OF the Unitel
a. States. They are composed OF a grea
er number Of large and fast steamship
IN which came into immediate control O
er their governments at the time OF ma
~ tional crisis such as war or impend
ing war. II is with these ships accom-
UT panied by equally fast or faster war
's ships that the oceans on either sid
a OF us could be used for the transporta
a ton OF a larger body OF troops thai
ae this country would be able to mObiliz
i'm order to meet the attack that woull
be launched against it, For instance
this nation has a policy known II
general terms as the Monroe Doctrine
the details OF which need no elabOrat.
ing in a communication Of this char
acter II has been more good fortune
than anything-else that this policy
has not brought us into armed con-
fiict with more than one nation since
lit was promulgated. Il will be re-
membered that due 10 conditions IN
Mexico. a situation was fast develop
ing which would have put the Mon
roe doctrine to a severe test had not
the European war started and drawn
the attention of our sister nations
elsewhere. If a set OF individuals resid-
ing in a certain locality or community
have an agreement, which may be lik.
ened unto the Monroe Doctrine in The
nation, they will not permt their
agreement TO be broken or violated
without resorting 10 legal or posslbi,
physical encounter This same illus.
tration fits the case Of the Uni.ec
States and it's Monroe Doctrine. Th'
time will be forthcoming as II almos
was in 1914, for us to either reced'
from oar stand known as the Monroe
Doctrine or else TO fight to uphold il
A fight will be unnecessary II we arr
sufficiently strong in armament q
cause a nation TO hesitate before az
tacline us. A concrete example o
being properly prepared is presente'
IN ms on the one side in the case o
Switzerland and Holland, and on th
opposite side in the case Of Belgium
WHICH, ndu II htSh HAbftAAe EANfNANe
would not now be offering up its fai
land to the devastating forces OF bot
foes.
"Tbe lesson offered by Belgium as co
trasted by Switzerland and Holland ca
not be too strongly considered at th
time.
eThe present war has shown th
-, IA treaties, like agreements between iu'
nu viduals. can be broken easily and a
oi not binding except when backed up
= force.
III ~, "Let us examine at close range 4
s details with respect 20 our defcns
NJ units and our problems Of defense.
have the longest vulnerable coast line
I, any nation on the globe extending als
nc the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and
RAJ Gull of Mexico. These coast lines
is1 studded with any number of d
- water harbors and estuaries, upon WI
otn are located some of the ricnest and II
Ca est cities and lands upon the face of
at o1aio a., orlor 10 defend tbis eVten,
on coast line from an attack by sea
my have in our navy today eight of the
IN called dreadhaught type of battlesh
All of these vessels are on the Atlai
LOT seaboard although the Panama Ca
you which By the way is closed for
> Is months, affords Us an opportunity
ent send the fleets 10 the Pacific ocean !
ION, be needed. mention the so-ea
4, l dreadnaught type in our navy beca
Tor they are the only vessels we pos
axe That are capable of engaging in ma
l. .IuN