Gilpin observer., 1915-12-02
WASHINGTON NEWS
By Edward Keating.

publicly discussed the question: OF
National Preparedness" might be
ialrly divided into the following class
es:
First-Those who believe our army
and navy are big enough.
Second-Those who accept Presi-
| dent Wilson's plan which falls for an
| Increase of about 5000. 900 a year
n our appropriations for army and
navy.
| Third-the mil.tarists, or "jingoes"
-who> insist that we must have a
standing army Of from 250,000 men
md a navy at least as large as Great
3ritains. These men would have an
increase in our appropriations from
$500 900 coo to $3.50, 600 900 = sums
which it is impossible for the finite
mind to grasp.
This week we will consider the ar
5uments advanced by the champions
5f Proposition No. /. Next week we
'riends and TIE following week the
ingces will be given the stage.
Congressman Kitchen says.
Our navy today is twice as large
| vs. JapaD's and is far superior to
hat of Germany. I cannot listen
With patience to this talk that we
IRE net prepared, because l know
rom long experience in congress and
careful study tlat such is not the
case.
Admiral Fletcher supports this
statement. Secretary Daniels says he
would rather have Fletcher's opinion
on any question affecting cur navy
than the judgment of any other man
in the world. Well, Fletcher, in his
testimony before the naval committee
this year said our fleet was superior
TO Germany's and to that of every
other nation except Great Britain.
Shall we accept the views of the
leader of the Atlantic fleet or the
clamors of patriotic defense leagues
that are now playing the game of
the war-traffickers and the people
who want to make their millions by
selling munitions to the government?
Coast Defenses lmpregnabIe.
'England's navy is two and one
half times as large as Germany's.
Then why can't Englands navy des-
trey Germany's navy and lombard
the German coast cities. Why the
Allies failure before the defenses of
the Dardanelles? TIE answer is to
be found in the submarine, the mine
and coast Notifications.
'Why have the German warships
failed to force their way by the Rus
sian fcrtifications at Riga and thus
cooperate with Won Hindenburg's ar
my? The answer is again, the sub
marine, the mire and the coast de-
fense.
IF these facts prove anything
they prove that tie size of the fleet
has nothing to do with nations
safety. With three times the guns,
the men and the ships. the Allies
dare not attack the German coast
cities.
Increase In Navy.
| ITO judge by the talk of the jing-
oes, one would imagine that the Will
son administration has done nothing
to prepare the country to resist a
foreign invader. Here are the facts:
'1During the first two years of the
present administration we voted
twice as much for new ships as was
voted for the same purpose during
the last two years of Taft's admin
istration and more than was appro-
priated during the entire four years
of Mr.. Roosevelt's term"
| Are we to have the first nation to
be showed into bankruptcy by the
burdens of militarism? Is it not
enough that we should, in the ten
years preceding the European war,
have expended on our navy $500 ,000,-
900 more than did any other nation,
except Great Britain?
The Jingoes Lobby.
Morgan and members of his Wall
street firm are conspicuous in the
directorates of these patriotic" So
cieties. At the same tine they are
known to be reaping golden har-
vest from TIE sale of munitions of
war.
Congressman Tavenner Is convin-
ced that there Is worldwide trust
in munitions of war and that the men
who control it are largely RESPONSE
BILE for the cataclysm which has over
whelmed Europe. They are now re-
peating in this country. he declares,
the propaganda which has proven so
successful across the water.