Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-12-04
Chairman of Hawaii Member.
ship Committee Issues
Statement

Il League ana us requirements, y. MOT
ton Riggs. chairman OF the member
ship committee for Hawaii has is
sued the following statement:
In order to correct the erroneous
idea that some people have of the
Navy League of the United States. J.
wish to state that In becoming a
member thereof no enlistment Is re-
quired as in the Naval Militia or Ma
tional Guard. Each person joining the
league does so with the purpose OF
using every effort In their power to
Influence our government at Wash.
ington to pass such laws as will re-
suit in our having navy and army
of sufficient strength to resist all at
tempts at invasion By foreign foe.
The Navy Leaeue-What u L.
1T is an association of those peo-
pie who believe in navy Of suffi-
cient strength absolutely to insure
this country against the possibility OF
ever being Obliged to meet an armed
force on its own soil and suffer In its
Town territory the horrors of war and
invasion.
"The Navy League was founded In
1901 and is by far the oldest and
best organized Of the national defense
societies. 1t numbers among its
members in the neighborhood of 49,.
900 representative American citizens
from all sections of the country and
from every walk in life. Despite the
| fact that the Navy League has
among its members some of the most
wealthy and influential citizens of
this country, II has always been a
movement of the people and by the
people. 1t has received few large In
dividual contributions, but has de-
pended largely on the annual dues Of
the rank and file of It's membership.
The leagues subscription lists are,
and. always have been open to inspec.
ftion. a
THE Nations Best Peace Society.
From the Navy Leagues found
ling 1t has been foremost In the work
{ for international peace. At its ban
quet In 1907, plan for the enforce
Iment of international rsgulations by q
force jointly controlled by AZ nations
twas first proposed. Gel. n. Porter.
long president Of the league, was
twice delegate TO the World Peace
Conference at The Hague, where he.
rendered important and distinguished
service. In all its actions and utter
ances the league has always worked
for and advocated peace, but, until
such a time as the possibility Of war
Is reduced to much below the present
ratio, it believes that IL would be just
as unwise for the United States to al
low its navy to deteriorate as 1t would
be for householder to allow the fire
insurance policy on his property to-
lapse because he disapproyed Of fires
and hoped there would be no more
of them.
The Emergency.
Experts of the United States War
College have shown that any one Of
three great military powers of Europe.
given command of the sea for 80 days,
by utilizing its present supply of men
and ships, could land an army of hall
million men, fully equipped with ar.
tillery, horses, food, munitions and
stores to last month.
Against such an army the present
land forces of the United States would
be a tragic Joke. Our rich farm
lands and great cities would fall sure
ly and rapidly into the hands Of the
enemy, and our entire country would
be occupied and laid under tribute.
In every home and farmhouse, sol
dlers OF the foe would be quartered,
and such resistance as we might
make could only substitute death and
destruction for oppression and dis,
honor.
e - L.
Even were the United States equip !
ped with an army sufficient to cope
with such an invading force. our sol
diers could defend their country only |
within its own borders and the de-
struction of war would fall almost as |
heavily upon American homes and
American territory In case of victory !
as in case of defeat
An adequate navy removes all such |
possibilities.
The Pacifists' Folly.
in the light of current history 1t is |
folly to say that war and aggression |
are things of the past aud that ma
tional humility and confidence In our |
own good intent and the high moral
civilization of our national neighbors /
are sufficient guards against attack /
and disaster. Recent events have /
proven only too clearly that no mat
ter how highly cultured or civilized
nations may appear, when their ma
tional safety seems at stake or their
national interests menaced, civiliZa-
ton and restraint are thrown to the /
winds, treaties and compacts forgot
ten and whole races and peoples, spur
red by sudden savage hatreds, plunge
headlong into war to the death with /
ether races and peoples whom they /
have hailed but few days before as
friends and brothers. /
Americas Best Defense.
'.The Navy League holds that in
view of these facts the only logical
course for the United States to pur-
sue to insure absolute freedom from
attack and invasion Is to take adj
vantage of its wonderful position of
stragetic isolation and create navy
sufficiently powerful to hold the sea
against any possible opponent Stu
ated as we are, separated by more
than 5000 miles of sea from the near.