Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-06-15
Charles ]. BOnaparte


Charles ]. BOnaparte
The honor and safety of the United
States have been put in jeopardy W
the failure Of "our public servants" TO
do their duty In providing adequately
for defense in case OF war, said Chas.
r Ronaparte. former attorney general,
in an address tonight before the Ma
tional Security League at Carnegie
hall He advocated that prompt steps
be taken to strengthen the army ana
navy. a program that must bear frult
tomorrow or the day after, not IN the
distant days of the dim future.
The peril against which we would
furnish a safeguard may well become
imminent within time measured by
months, rather than by years. SAID
Mr. Ronaparte. and there Is the great
err reason to demand an immedia's
remedy because so mucn time mas
been already and so cuIpaoiy lost
through neglect to seek and mo
remedy.
ITO be a remedy at all. It must %
obtainabIe and obtainable while tnere
is still time to apply remedy. "e
must ask for what we can get ana gel
before it is too late; that there may oe
something else which would DC oeltei'
could we get 1t, is quite oeslce inc
Question. il we know we can't get II or
thar. if obtained, it would do little or
no good for twenty or ten or even aVe
years"
Even if the French army had been
no larger last August than our kA
army is today" he declared, se.SFne
Germans would have needed twice as
much time to march hundred thou-
sand men into Paris than they would
need 70 nut the same force In Wash
ington or New York, had they COM
mand of the sea-
Referring to political movement in
England some years ago against IN
creasing the navy. Mr.. Bonaparte con-
tinued: -
I'VE have had for years the same. or
closely similar. party here; IL mas
more than once obtained the upper
hand here, just as its brother IN
sophistry and mischief did In Engianu.
Had the latter succeeded in serippilhs
the British Navy, as 1t wished anu
persistently tried to do England
would be now in the condition of Bel
GUM: the corresponding party mere
and its accomplices in and out OF puo-
lie life, NAV cause a disaster no less
rrieyous. unless Americans have SUI
ficient patriotism and sufficient COM
mon sense to treat it and its propa-
ganda as they deserve.
IF am asked what mean by any
reasonably possible enemy I reply
anv mower except Great Britain: ordi-
nary prudence demands of our rulers
that we have a fighting fleet Which
could meet on equal terms any nSntlng
feet in the world except the British.
I make this exception, not for sentl-
mental reasons, but because. in the
first place, the form Of the British
Government and the great influence OF
British public opinion upon the con-
duct of public affairs make it virtual
" impossible, not. indeed. that war
should break out between the two
countries, but that it should break out
suddenly: we should certainly have
some time. if not time enough. to pre-
pare for such a conflict. Moreover.
Great Britain is the only power which
could not use its full naval strength
to attack us: Germany or Japan or
any other conceivable enemy could
send against US every fighting craft Il
had capable Of crossing the ocean;
EngIand's safety irperatively Demands
that powerful armament be always
kept in English waters or within CALI
Mr.. Bonapartte strongly urged the
immediate strengthening Of the United
States fleet. ~
IF our sailors can fight with fair
show of victory" he continued. they
may be finally defeated. for the fates
of war are ever doubtful, but they will
at least. give US some Of that precious
time for preparation, that time which
America, if threatened with inEGfon'
is almost sure to need as sorsi IS
Ajax needed light.
Our rulers and those who make or
keep them our rulers will bear terri
Bile. responsibility, however. IL we,
nation of one hundred millions Of peo-
pie. with probably greater natural re-
sources, greater accumulated wealth
and greater latent strength than any
other nation under Heaven, through
sheer laziness, cowardice, frivolity or
folly shall be left in such state OF
self-imposed helpIessness that. for U.s.
serious invasion shall mean, of neces-
sity. utter defeat and subjugatlon'
this is very nearly our state at pres
emf
Il think it deplorable that ten
months of the European war have
passed without our governments DO
ing, or even, so far as know, deciding
to do. anything Of moment to fulfil TINS
grave and and urgent Constitutions
duty"