The commonwealth., 1916-08-18
A Dangerous Foe.

Secretary Daniels says of the naval
bill that it ''will give this nation the
second largest navy in the world. y
Congressman Kitchin said of it: "It
will make us the most powerful mill
tary nation on earth.''
The former spoke in its advocacy:
the latter in opposition to the measure
which has just been passed. Both are
right, differing only in their atti-
tudes to the legislation which is rank
ed as the most important congress has
enacted. The bill provides for the
building of 157 war vessels within the
next three years and completes an
accumulation Of national defense leg
islation which involves the expendi-
ture Of nearly $700,000,000.
This newspaper has previously held
to the view that such an elaborate
program of national defense was IN
called for. In following out this con
viction, it has had opportunity at
stated times to compliment the stand
Congressman Kitchin has often taken
against the administration s policy
which apparently involves a wild and
reckless and extravagant outlay of the
people s money. He stuck to his post
until the last and his final charge in
speaking Of the measure was that af-
ter he had denounced the republican
program of national expenditures as
reckless criminality, the secretary OF
the navy, the president and his fellow
democrats were trying to make hir1
eat his words.
Congress has unquestionably set 9
mark in extravagant outlays anc
chiefly in it's effort toward establish
ing national defenses that can not be
! sustained in the future by this nation
, The average American citizen does
not raise a howl when congress appro
PIRATES his. money for reforms and en-
terprises for which there is apparent
need. In the mere matter Of nationa
{ defense, this same average American
E does not object to a moderate, SAN
: and conservative expenditure of hi
, money to provide an adequate nav,
9 and an efficient army, but if the maj
) ority. Of the people OF this countr.
h believe that $700,00O,00O is require
Il to give them what they need in tn
. way Of an army and Of a navy, we ar
! placing wrong Interpretation on thei
:. past tendencies and their modern de
mands. Never before has the countr
been disposed to lose it's better judg
ment-taking the judgment Of Congress
: as a reflection of the convictions o
Il the people-in the matter of providin
: an army and navy. Never befor
- have we been impressed with the fac
= that there is Immediately ahead of u
- a pressing and imperative demand tha
8 we establish ourselves in the way O
. army and navy equipment to that poin
where we will become the most mil
taristic nation on earth, as Mr.. Kitchi
: very properly interprets the action 9
[e congress.
5 All of this legislation has come 2
u consequence of the wild excitemer
that seized congress since the worl
to war in Europe started. Up to tha
IN time, we had not bothered ourselve
n much about probabilities of attack
IN from alien countries upon Our defens,
IN less shores. Now we imagine that som
powerful nation, over night, will she
as our shores, march across the contine1
n and sweep us off the map. It is notl
Is ing but excitement. And congress hs
ID yielded to the pressure coming up fro
lc minority sources-for this newspapt
has not yet conceded that the maiorit
III of the people Of this nation will Just
ne fy in their own minds the coloss