Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-01-22
National Security League
Meets at Washington
to Discuss Plans
SENTIMENT SOON
TO DEMAND ARMY
New Yorker Says People Of
Nation Are Changing
in Their Attitude

AAA - AAA~AA AAVSAVNNS
Washington, D. c., Jan. 81. = At.
tacks on the administration foreign
policies: pointed references to "the
utter state Of unpreparedness of the
army and navy" and the awakening of
public opinion on the subject of ade-
quate defense, featured addresses by
prominent speakers today before the
National Security league.
Arraignment of the foreign policies
of the administration was made by
Henry A. Wise Wood, chairman Of the
conference committee on national de-
tense, New York.
''It may be said with accuracy that
we have no foreign policy at the mo-
ment," he said. with the destruction
of our citizens, while on foreign
merchantships or upon our own mer-
chantships, we offer no armed interfer-
ence, nor do we offer armed interfer-
ence when our citizens while on for
eign soil are destroyed, their wives and
children outraged, their property con-
ffscated.
Sentiment Changing.
Furthermore, it is to be doubted
whether at the moment we are willing
to enforce by armed Intervention such
of our domestic policies as are inimical
to the interests of foreign nations.
Therefore, to discuss naval policy
for the United States, at this time,
would seem a mere academic occupa-
tion were it not for certain indications
that we are about to experience ma
ton wide reaction of public opinion
which cannot fail to crystalline into, a
national spirit, finding expression In a
definite code Of policies dealing with
foreign affairs In order to sustain
will declare war"
In pointing out that "other nations
fight in packs and we singly,' Mr.
Wood said: "The United States should
formulate naval policy that would
bear the full brunt, If necessary of a
coalition of powers" He advocated a
naval policy that would maintain at
all times in the Atlantic force super
ior to that of Germany; in the Pacific
a force superior to Japan; protect the
Panama canal against capture or de-
strlction by land or by sea, or injury
by air."
Cooperation Needed.
"The present machinery of our gov
ernment is utterly untitled to deal
with our major naval problems" de-
clared Charles G. Curtis of New York.
q prominent manufacturer of ship tur.
bines. Congress should follow the
advice of the general board and adopt
it's program without delay. The CO.
operation Of the shipbuilders should be
enlisted and both private and govern
ment yards should be put in condition
to build all the warships necessary
with the greatest possible rapidity."
George Won L. Meyer, former secre-
tary of the navy, declared, ''The funda-
mental defect of the navy department
military organization charged with the
preparation Of the fleets for war, and
in consequence the navy Is being built
and administered on peace basis and
is not being efficiently prepared for
war service"
He urged the fortification of the Pan
anna canal and the additional protec-
tion of it by the navy, definite naval
building program, abolition of useless
navy yards, necessary increase OF per-
sonnel with the increase of tonnage,
establishment of national council of
defense, prompt organization of a
naval reserve of over $4,000 men and
creation of navy general staff.
Marine Held Necessary.
P. H. w. Ross, president of the Ma
tional Marine league, advocated IAN
American merchant marine owned by
manned by Americans, and
at the beck and call of our govern
ment. He said that 1t would solve
more than half Of our defense prob
lem, "just as Lord Inchcape has shown
that Britain's merchant marine has not
only a second line of defense, but &C.
tually an integral part of her first line
of naval defense"