Evening journal., 1915-12-10
CANALS ARE URGED
TO AID Defense
Representative Moore De-
clareS Inland Routes
Vital Necessity
HAVEN FOR WARSHIPS;
NEEDED FOR TRADE

WASHINGTON, Dec. lO.-Represen-
tative J. Hampton Moore, OF Pennsyi-
yania, president OF the Atlantic Deeper
Waterways Association, was one of the
,hief speakers at yesterdays session OF
the Rivers and Harbors Convention.
The purchase by the government of the
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal was
discussed v Mayor Preston, OF Balti-
more, and Mr. Moore and other speakers
as mems of increasing our national de-
lenses.
"rhc message which President Wilson
read to ms on Tuesday contemplated
large increases of expenditures for the
army and navy" Mr.. Moore said 1T
is proposed TO pay for this increase by
additional taxes which ultimately must
be levied upon industry and enterprise.
] regret there was no word In the mes
sage showing now we might relieve the
plain people of this burden. | had hoped
the President would tell MS to develop
our inland resources, improve our inland
river and harhors SO that we might re-
lcvc the railroad congestion and give
10 commerce and industry a chance 20
recoup the taxes which preparedness for
war involves.
Needs on Atlantic Coast.
Along the Atlantic coast, in particu-
lar. we are woefully lacking in streams
of adequate depth to accommodate even
the smallest OF vessels of war embraced
in the Presidents program. If we pro-
cced with the construction of these YES
scls we must not only provide havcns
for their safety and repair but we must
also have our house in order to permit
them TO move from ono naval base to
another.
"Thc inside water courses that we
want for commerce are essential to
any plan of naval preparedness. II the
navy is the first line of defense. these
inland waterways are surely the sec
ond. To send a fleet TO sea to meet
an enemy Of equal strength would be
a foolhardy proposition II we had no
place to which the fleet might return.
II our feet should be driven into the
Chesapeake IL would be bottled up,
because none of the vessels would
be able to pass through the Chesa-
peake and Delaware Canal to reach
the Philadelphia Navy Yard. and they
would not be able to get out by way
of New York. because of the in
adequacy of the Delaware and Rari-
tan Canal.
Apart from the naval inadequacy
OF these waterways, which would be
our humiliation in the event OF attack,
they are also in their present condi-
ton hindrance to commerce. The
railroads are congested today just as
they were in 1897. yet We are told
that We must wait on the railroads
and be satisfied with our waterways
as they have stood for hundred
years. Il is an absurd proposition
which Congress ought to remedy.
Tells Real Preparedness.
we would be far better prepared
ITO meet an adversary il we would
quit worrying about foreign condi-
tions and pay more attention to our
own. Although we should have
large army and a large navy, neither
establishment could last long without
the support and confidence of the
men who feel that what they have
and what they hope for in the United
States is worth paying for or worth
fighting for. With our second line
Of defense based upon commerce and
industry properly encouraged and
protected, there need be no fear about
our ability TO properly uphold our
FIRST line of defense
Mr. Moore insisted that the pre-
paredness plan would be incomplete
unless the improvement Of rivers and
harbors went along with IT,