Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1916-02-10
THE PREPAREDNESS FOLLY"

The quoted words are not ours
Ethey are taken from the editorial
page of a prominent southern news
PAGER, the Miami Metropolis, a region
which is supposedly for President
Wilton and everything that carries
the democratic brand
II calls attention TO The fact thu
since 1883, when this preparedness
business was inaugurated. this coum
try has expended $179,973,69 sos on il
coast defense!
II also cites the fact that within
the ten years precedina the outbreah
of the European war the Unite
States spent three hundred million
of dollars more on its navy than Ge1
many, or any other nation in TN
world excepting Great Britain, OK
pended on its navy.
No nation in the worlds histor}
was better prepared for war than wa
Germany when the European contiic'
began, and yet Germany for the ten
preceding years had expended bu:
ffty-fye per cent of its total revenu,
u0pn it's army and navy. whereas
during the same period he United
States expended for war preparation
and on account of war sixty per CEN
of its total revenues. Great Britain
spent but thirty-seven per cent of its
income for a similar purpose while
France devoted but thirty-fve per
cent to its army and navy.
And yet continues this southern
newspaper, the preparedness dop
lists would make additional appropria-
lions for vastly increased eXpendi'
lures. Far better reduce the amour
for preparedness Make the reve-
nues now collected for national de
Tense cover the expense Of the big
army and the big navy and the
protest from the people will not BE-
so i%nsistent, although the blow to the
patriots ~c!amoring for preparedness
would doubtless be most painful"
The paper then proceeds to quote
LaFollette concerning the identity Of
lth" Navy League, composed of such
men as Rockefeller, Morgan, Schwab,
Gary, du Pont, and their prototypes,
who are strenuously calling for pre-
paration for war. The Miami paper
concludes its editorial as follows:
And this preparedness folly which
asks for an increase in expenditures
now ample to provide for adequate
protection, is being given precedence
over the really big problems of state
which should be occupying the atten-
ton of congress and the PRESIDENT"
"MONKEYING" WITH TEDDY.
The Sioux Falls Argus-Leader ap-
pears to be somewhat fearful that
Theodore Roosevelt may become the
republican nominee for the presiden-
ley. 1t goes on to say that the fell
lows who are backing Teddy this
year are the same chaps who beat
the republican party with him in 1912.
If Teddy is nominated, it continues,
the party will receive the hardest
blow it has ever sustained
Our Sioux Falls contemporary
| should calm itself. 1t is mistaken
about the Roosevelt support being the
same, as in 1912. If it would look
about it the fact would have been
discovered. Are not the Roosevelt
chaps of 1912 in South Dakota now
seeking to carry the state for Cum
Minis?
But-h-s-h! What's this we hear
about the "Old Guard" having arr
ranged a plan to put it over on Ted
ldy! We have the authority of Sam
Blythe for it. Sam travels about a.
great deal and occasionally stumbles
upon the truth, and once in a while
he prints it. Blythe, it will we re-
membered, is n Of the highmuck-
amucks of the Saturday Evening Post
mot The Saturday News, but a pa
per nearly as good.
Blythe AYERS. upon his honor as a
gentleman and scholar, that the Old
Guard have their plans all laid to.
"copper" Teddy. New England for the
most part, is to swing to Weeks of
Massachusetts, New York to Root, In
diana to former Vice President Fair
banks, Ohio to Burton, and Iowa and
sotuh Dakota fsaye the mark!) to.
Cummins.
That, says Blythe. stalking his repu-
%tation al a mar and a prophet, is.
the scheme of the Old Guard, meaning
such fellows as Penrose and smoot
and Hilles. to prevent the nomination
of Teddy, hoping to be able to bring
this semi-chaotic aggregation together
upon some man cher than Theodore.
Well, well!--who'd a-thunk it!