Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-01
MILITARIsM AND NAvALISM.

n
EXTRACTS from speech of Major
fly Leader Claude Kitchin, which the
press associations did not carry.)
MIR. KITCHIN. The large and grow
ing expenditures for our navy before
the munition makers and tingoes had
caused the preparedness hysteria to
seize congress, had aroused the people
of the country into asking. where
shall It end?" Secretary Daniels. in
his report to the last session of con-
gress. December, 1914, said land he
was but substantially repeating what
had been said in the British parlia-
ment. the German reichstag, the
French assembly, and by prominent
statesmen the world over relative TO
the armament expenditures of their re-
spective countries for the last several
years.:
THE naval appropriations in our
own country have doubled in dozen
years and have gone up by leaps and
bounds in other countries. If this mad
rivalry in construction goes on. the
burden will become too heavy for any
nation to bear"
In his report Of December, 1913, he
says:
1.-THE growing cost of dreadnaughts,
makes an efficient navy gives reason
to pause. The heavy expense COM
mands national and international con-
sideration. Ten years ago our largest
battleships cost S5,2SS,000. The next
dreadnaught will cost $14, 044, 600"
The dreadnaughts hereafter to be
built will cost $4,000, 900. In an in
terview the secretary says all ship
materials and munitions Of war have
gone up over 80 per cent He asks:
when is this accelerating expendi-
ture to be reduced? =" If ii is
not fastened by appeals for the peace
full settlement of national differences,
the day is not far distant when the
growing burdens of taxation for ex
cessive <'ar and naval expenditures
will call a halt"
Before exposing to full view the
enormity and insanity of this pro-
! gram, which will soon be written into
the statutes, I ask that you carry in
your mind these facts: When the Eu
ropean war began the United States
was then expending on it's navy $780,,
! 600 900 more than Germany or any
/ other nation, except England, was eX-
/ pending on its navy. For the 10 years
preceding the war we had expended on
| our navy $317, 200, 900 more than Ger
/
! S51S, 900, 900 more than Russia, $751;
| O0O,00 more than Italy, and 1927, 000.-
/ 600 more than Japan had expended on
it's navy.
For these 10 years
Germany expended on its navq
1904, 332, 900.
France expended on its navy, s759,-
| OLA 900.
Russia expended on it's navy, S703,-
365 600.
Italy expended on it's navy, $685.
/ $4,000.
Japan expended on its navy, 1894
! 4S5 900.
But the United States expended on
/ its navy the huge sum of 81 ,222 900, 900
| We increased in the five years pre-
| ceding the war our annual naval eX-
penditures three times as much as
Germany increased hers. Our total eX-
penditures for the navy in 1910 was
| Sill, 791 900. and in 1914 SAL 72, 900,
while Germany's naval expenditure IN
| 1910 was $103, 302 900, and in 1914
| $I13, 993 900. Last year-1915-16-our
naval appropriation was $780, 900.
( Now in the face of the truth and the
warning of the secretary of the navy,
/ just quoted; in the fact of the fact that
we have navy superior to that of
/ Germany or any other nation, except
Great Britain; in fact Of the fact that
our navy is growing bigger and
stronger and better equipped than ever
before, in fact of the fact, as the presi-
/ dent, both in messages to congress and
IN n"hli" addresses, has repeatedly de-
g.. ~ are threatened from no
{ 4artt ~ face of the fact that we
are in IS niger from a foreign foe
han er }" ore, and even were one
~. line. lie is less able TO strike or