Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-10

Charles Martindale. Charles No
Bile Gregory. Bishop John N. Nc
Cormick and William H. Stayton.
] Immediate action for adequate prepared
ness is the keynote of the eleventh annual
convention of the Navy League of the
United States, which opened it's four-day
sessions this morning with nearly 1000
delegates present from all the states of
| the Union
Vigorous response to attacks on the
Navy League in full-page newspaper
advertisements by Henry Ford were
spiritedly answered by the president
and secretary of the association while
the delegates applauded. Answering
the insinuation that he personally as
head of the great nickel corporation
would profit heavily by preparedness,
Col. Thompson said that when Congress
had appropriated million dollars for
the Navy Department to buy nickel
at 81 a pound he had sold it to the de-
partment at "a cents a pound, ,the low
est price for which nickel was ever
when this business was turned over to
the steel corporation he put the price
up 25 per cent and when asked why he
said he received his education from the
United States government and never
wants any profit from the government.
but that he did exact fair rate of
profit from other business concerns.
A number of Washington men. in
cluding three former ambassadors, by
change of the bylaws, were unani-
10I1a 81
This action was taken in furtherance
of the purpose to center the Navy
League directorate here and make the
| capital the real headquarters of the
leagues activities. Henry B. F. Mac
farland was chairman of the nominat-
ing committee.
Those elected from Washington are:
David Jayne Hill. Henry White,
sadors: Charles d. WaIcott, secretary
Smithsonian Institution: Woodbury.
Blair whose father was Secretary Of
State in Lncoln's cabinet: William
Corcoran E.ustis, William r. Merriam
ex-governor of Minnesota o. H. Titt-
mann former director of the coast and
geodetic survey.
Other new members are: James K.
D. Norman Bridge. Grant Stephenson
BENJAMIN T. Waldo, Charles G. Curtis
and Lewis l.. Clarke.
Washingtonians reelected as direct
Ward and John Callan O'Laughlin.
Contention that the United States has
failed to maintain the guarantee of the
Constitution "for common defense" and
to protect each state against invasion
enliyened the first day, when voiced by
David Jayne Hill. former ambassador to
Germany He denounced the adn,nistra
tons foreign policy as one which has
| caused complete loss Of our prestige
as a nation and rendered our govern
ment "A practically negligible quantity as
an international factor.
Prominent Men on Program.
Some of the countrys foremost au-
thorities on international law, commerce
| and military and naval science are on
F., the program to participate in sympo-
| stun Of authoritative views on just what
! constitutes adequate preparedness for
| national defense.
| ITO the Bryans. Henry Fords, Jordanr,
Tavenners ct al. we are anathema,"
said Col Robert NJ Thompson. president
While the league has earned the hatred
| of that class which is opposed to pre-
paredness. we trust you will love US for
/ these enemies we have made he said.
| The league was founded by men. Col.
| Thompson continued, who believed
| that an efficient and adequate fleet was
| the best defense against invasion. He
asserted that this country has awak-
| ened to the necessity of real prepar
| edness for defense.
| England is spending millions of dol
lars a day" said Col Thompson, in con-
| clusion, because she failed to spend
| thousands at the proper time. In the
| face of such possibilities. why waste
| time over trifles; taxes or bonds. either
1 hot Ia h,rt
he gives twice who gives quickly"
Report of Secretary Dadmun.
The public's growing interest in pre-
| paredness, and especially the naval
phase of preparedness, is emphasized
! in the report of Arthur H. Dadmun, the
! session. This shows that whereas
! financial receipts were $4,000 in the
wear ending March 81, 1911, the rev.
enue of the league for the year ending
! March 81. 1916 was about 100000. The
| report shows steady but compare
| tiyely slow increase during the Years
| 1911 to 1915. inclusive, but, probably
| due to the lessons of the European war.
! the income for the fiscal year Just end
| ed was nearly four times that of the
previous year.
Considerably more than half of the
| total revenue. says the report was de-
rived from memberships. In this con-
| nection the report shows that the ac-
| tive membership totals $4,000 and the
! associate membership more than
| 10000.
The report hits at Henry Ford with
the following paragraph:
The organization has recently re-
ceived a high compliment as to the
| effectiveness of its campaign for a
strong navy. Mr.. Henry Ford Is said
| to have provided a fund of millions for
! a full page newspaper advertisement