Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-01-07
The Navy League.

Mr.. Joseph H. Bradley, of Rockville, anC
W. c. Folsom, and E. c. Schroeder, of Be
thesda, Nd, have been appointed to thu
Membership Committee of the Nav!
League of the United States and will hell
to represent that organization in their dis
trict in the active, aggressive campaign
which 1t is carrying on in all parts of the
country in behalf of adequate prepared
ness against invasion and disaster. They
will cooperate with the members of the
Navy Leagues State committee for Mary,
land and will lend their energetic and en-
thusiastic support to the work undertaken
to consolidate and organize the overwhelm-
ing sentiment of thinking people of the
State in behalf of measures of adequate
preparedness. A special letter has beer
forwarded to the gentlemen appointed by
the Navy League, notifying them of their
appointments.
The letters are signed by Colonel Robert
M. Thompson, president of the League
and reads as follows:
Dear Sir In accordance with the in
structions of the Board of Directors of the
Navy League, am hereby appointing you
a member of the Membership Committee
of that organization.
In the present days of International strife
and hysteria. we believe it is one of the
first duties of every good citizen to work
with all his might to insure the provision
of such naval defenses for this country as
shall render our country strong enough to
avoid being drawn into the maelstrom of
war, or shall render it certain that no hos
tile army shall ever set foot on our soil should
the worst come and our nation be unavoid-
ably drawn into the strife.
We believe that the best organized and
most potent of the forces working for ade-
quate national defenses is the Navy
League, and therefore do not hesitate to
urge you as citizen and patriot to lend
us your fullest and most enthusiastic aid
and cooperation in our work to insure our
country absolutely against the possibility
of invasion by foreign foe.
The secretary of the committee to which
you have been assigned will communicate
with you shortly in regard to the particu-
lar manner in which your assistance will
be of the most value. May we not count
upon you to the fullest extent in this great
patriotic work
(signed) ROBERT M. THOMPSON.
President Of the Navy League Of the U. S.
Great interest is felt all over the country
in the Navy Leagues sensational campaign
in behalf of adequate national defense
which has done so much toward the awak-
ening of the American people to the dan
Ger of their undefended condition.
The Navy League is not in any sense a
militarist organization. Since its founda-
ton more than fourteen years ago 1t has
been foremost in the work for International
peace. Its president. General Horace Por-
ter. was twice delegate to the Worlds Peace
Conference at the Hague. and in all its ac-
tons and utterances the League has work
ed for and advocated peace, but until such
a time as the possibility Of war is reduced
to much below its present ratio it believes
that il would be just as unwise for the
United States to allow its navy to deteri-
crate as it would be for a householder to
allow his fire insurance policy to lapse
because he dsapproved of fires and hoped
there would be no more of them.
The Navy League holds that this coun-
try's best defense lies in the three thous-
and or more miles of water which separate
it from the nearest of its powerful neigh
bors Should war ever be forced upon this
country, the Navy League holds, its battles
ought not to be fought by armies on Ameri-
can soil, but by trained fighting men in
ships, far out on the ocean where destruc-
ton of life and property will be kept at a
minimum. and the savage business of
killing will be kept as far as possible from
Americas homes and shores.
To this end it has always advocated a
navy second to none. which will be able
to guarantee absolutely that no hostile
army will be able ever to effect landing
upon the shores of our country, and in this
demand it believes it is backed by unani-
nous public opinion all over the country.
The most effective testimony to the popu-
larity Of the cause of the Navy League
with representative citizens all over the
country is the manner in which its MEM
bership has increased by leaps and bounds
within the past few months until at pres
ent it numbers upon its rolls more than
10000 members.
The Navy League is the oldest and best
organized Of the National Defense socie-
ties. Il was founded and chartered in
1902. and among its officers and members
are Admiral Dewey Theodore Roosevelt.
Cardinal Gibbons. Rt. Rev. Philip Rhine
lander and DIR. Lyman Abbott, while many
of Americas most prominent women are
among the members of its Woman's Sec
ton. Its accounts are and always have
been open to inspection. The head
quarters Of the Navy League are in the
Southern Building in Washington, d. c..
and further information will be gladly
furnished upon application to the secre-
tary.
County Club News.