The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1915-09-30
Hon. Claude KifChin'S Letter
on the Nations Preparedness
CONTINUED from Page One)


isration Congress authorized the building OF dread
naughts to OOO the last two years OF
Taft's Administration dreadnaughts costing ABOUT
1885, 100000 authorized This ought to satisfy the
reacnaught jingo and traf1cker certainly till we
construct other useful and necessary craft The
readnaughts authorized in the last Congress will not
be completed until three four years, and the dread
naughts if authorized by the coming Congress- can
not possibly be completed within four five years
and the COLLINS could eat up alive by that time
Relatively considering the requirements and demands
of the present upon all other Navies, have the
strongest and most powerful Navy earth-sufficent
to defend country and protect rights on the
seas elsewhere against any nation or any possible
combination of nations during the continuance OF the
present European War After the terminates
what nation will have the design the power to at
tack us?
End We are in less danger from foreign foe
than before in the history of country. Even
if we not has less power to harm or strike us
than before. We absolutely in dan
ger Of attack invasion. In fact the invasion by
foreign country from the and the landing
Of a army upon the soil Of another, equipped with
mines and submarines, is thing Of the past and
npossbility and nation will attempt it. Every
nation capable in the least Of coping with has it's
hands ''full to it's elbows Of the European War.
Even if any had designs upon us, if would de-
clare against any, not one could send soldier
ship against 1t could spare neither from the
actions Of the present conflict. IT, many of the
jngoes and war trafickers demanded, we had unfor-
tunately had actual rupture with Germany, which
most wisely and fortunately avoided, (thanks to
the patient, resolve eve-headedness and big compre-
hesion Of the President she could have spared nei
Their soldier ship to engage Great Britain
France by declaring against us, would whip
herself and Allies land in less than MONTHS with
out our arming soldier moving vessel. Where is
the danger nowhere the COLLINS to catch
people to come from? Even the Japan goblin,
specially fixed up for many years by Hobson and the
jlngoes, at the time of each annual Naval Appropra-
ton Bill is now being laughed at by the kindergarten
Sc tho ut l,of e.,
the conclusion of the present war, every European
ton will be exhausted in men, money, credit, and
terial resources and it's people so burdened with bill
lions Of debt and taxation and it's land filled with
millions OF manned and crippled and many mil
lions of widows and orphans, that not one could even
think or dream of with the United States the big
gest, richest strongest power EARTH with its 1OO,
100000 people, and it's billions of wealth and unlimited
resources fresh, untouched, unmpaired, unless our
Government yielding to the jingoes and traffick-
ers, would take it by the nape of the neck and pull it
into fight with
3rd The conditions of our Treasury and our rev.
and the necessities Of the Government are less
able now to permit increased appropriations than
before The Treasury has felt most heavily the bur-
dens of the present Our general surplus fund of
over $15O0O000O has almost approached the vanish
ing point deficits annual and monthly; our
revenues have diminished; have strained the nerves
OF the Government to get sufficient to meet it's
ordinary expenses; have been forced to levy an
emergency tax and still the surplus fund is diminish
hcent. l repeat if there time in the his
tory Of our country when Congress and the people
could look with compacency upon the safety of sit
uatlon and consider military and naval construction
policy with deliberations without excitement and with
out haste, it is When sit down, away from the
noise and howlngs Of the jngoes and trafickers
and their yelping pack and calmly contemplate our
exact situation, a Navy and Army stronger better
equipped, more efficient than BEFORE with more
battleships, more dreadnaughts, submarines
more destroyers auxlares being built than ever
before, with less danger from foreign foe, and even
II inclined, with less power to strike harm than
ever BEFORE in absolutely danger from any, with
decreasing revenues vanishing surplus, growing defc
its an extra levy, and then ,ugh money t. NEE
the ordinary expenses Of the Government with those
charged with the responsibility searching every ave
nue. for way to get sufficient revenue during the
continuance OF the present to satisfy the absolute
necessities OF the Government with section of the
country with its 100000 Of people pressed to its
knees by the burdens Of the European War; and the1
think OF some Of usually level-Ieaded patriotic
people catching the fright and fever which the ingoe
ana War traftckers have spread, and Ginning in will
their senseless waing dangerous unpre
paredness" and their yelp for big Navy and bis
ARMY dreadnaughts battleshps! 100000 standn.
ar1ny for millions and hundreds Of millions of add
ona appropriations more burdens moro taxat;on