The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-03
MUST TAKE IT OUT OF POLITICS
National Defense Never Should
Be Mixed With Parties.
He Tells of Experiences in
Spanish-American War.

small army Will be sufficient, as IN
vading forces will never get to land.
he says.
The program for national defense
would have been put through some
time ago but for the opposition of
President Wilson and Secretary Bryan.
There should be created a Council of
National Defense which shall be made
up of cabinet officers, chairmen of
con gressional committees. and navy
and army experts. The question of
defense must be taken entirely out OF
politics end not a question that is up
every four years"
| Ex-CCngressman Hobson introduced
the bill in congress providing for q
council of national defense. The
Democratic convention at Baltimore
voted itself as favorably impressed
with the bill but President Wilson re-
pressed action on it. Recently he has
changed his attitude, says Mr.. HObson,
and it is probable that it VIII pass, and
a counsel of national defense that is
completely out of politics will be es-
tablished.
Senator LaFollette's regent speech
on the waste and extravaganza on ar
mament is non-constructiye criticism
and he, a member of the naval
board, should offer some suggestion
that will nelp matters instead of
merely knock There is undoubtedly
waste in the mana ement of the army
and navy but the council of national
defense would eliminate it as much as
possible by having the government
manufacture a great part of its own
armament.
No Compulsory Training.
Compulsory military training will
never become widespread over the
United States on account of the dis
position of the people. 1 believe that
West Point and Annapolis should be
doubled in attendance and opportuni-
ties to go offered to boys in every high
school and college. Fort Riley and
LeavenWorth are valuable training
schools for n-commissioned officers
and the gov eminent should build up
| more than a nucleus of an army
that in case of war a large army could
be organized in a short time.
Politics has rendered Inefficient
and insignificant the army. There
are a multitude of army posts where
| they are not needed
For National Prohibition
Mr.. Hobson resigned from the army
in 1903 to go 10 congress. He has
been eight years there and ran for
the senate recently, being defeated by
the liquor interests of Alabama. Pc
Gently he has been touring the country
speaking for national prohibition
which he boosted in congress. He
graduated from the United States
Naval Academy in 1889 and was Il
football man, playing right guard on
tho team.
Tells of Feeling Under Fire.
when you sank the Merrimac at
Santiago, what were your personal
feelings as to the NATTER" was asked,
Was anyone rather wabbly under
the tire or did they take the excite
ment similarly to the thrilling chap
ter in a best seller 2'
we weren't scared at Santiago
bay" replied Mr.. Hobson. things
were coming our way too quickly for
that. [ was so interested in getting
the job done that 1 never thought of
the personal risk After the boat was
hopelessly wrecked and we We're do
ing nothing but waiting for it to sink.
L remember feeling my pulse to see if
1 was excited. 1t was rather below
normal and the whole affair was I'M
personal ice blooded and cool headed.
Yes, it was an adventure all right, but
we never thought of it while it was
going on. Luck was all that kept the
shells from blowing us off the boat
Richmond p Hobson and Edward
I. Stearns will speak on the national
temperance campaign at the First
Methodist church tonight.
At the Commercial Club.
Japan is in China now in violation
of the open door policy and in years
to come this will be the chief source
of war to disturb the nations of the
world" declared Captain Richmond
P. Hobson, former congressman from
Alabama, who stirred up the business
men of the Commercial club this noon
with his talk on Preparedness"
Not long ago Japan made twelve
to raise our voice in protest.
These peace dreamers. who -ecent- !
ly launched a peace expedition, are /
revolutionists. Progress in the world /
comes from growth and evolution. If
we could have two fleets, one on the |
Pacific and one on the Atlantic the |
Monroe doctrine and the open door /
policy-the sound basis for peace and 1
amity of nations-would be enforced /
and then nations would be willing to |
have The Hague conference devel-
oDed; large armies would be a bur- I
den and the country obsessed with /
militarism could not compete on equal .
terms with the peaceful and industrial /
nation There then would be a uni /
versal civilization of peace and indus /
try"
Captain Hobson urged every bust
ness man to thing seriously on the |
question of preparedness and work
for the passage of the bill before con-
gress which calls for the establish
Tnent of q council of national defense. /
Mr. Bryan and Mr. Wilson evident
" didn't wish anything constructive /
along military lines during the admin
istration, but happily the president I
has changed his mind.
We Don't Have Real Defense
Germany in the early sixties estab-
lished council of national defense.
After the war with Austria and
France these two nations adopted
similar policy. When Japan came on
she adopted Germany'S scheme. In
course of time Japan and Russia went
to war. The military movements Of
Japan went off smoothly as routine.
Russia never got ready. As a conse-
council of defense After the Boer
war Great Britain did the same thing
Every nation in the world has
council of national defense except
Unless We do something soon we
will be in the throes of a great war,