The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1916-09-08
Interior Needs Strong Navy
Mississippi Valley Would Be Greatly En-
dangered by Lack of Protection With
Powerful Fleets in Time of War.
By HENRY A. WISE WOOD
Chairman Conference Committee National Preparedness

II Chairman Conference commit eonN Preparedness II
People living distance from the Atlantic MmzM
the Pacific prone to think of a navy a $
thing far from their welbeing, whereas ME3
there village inland that enjoying SSM R
protection from freedom of the sx 49,
And there today home under the flag that Y
does than before need the protection 1882 a
that strong navy gives Let forget that the INA Ma
long peace during which this country has developed N Ia
very garden of the earth would have been a
possible without navy. ~ 81
formerly thought but two coast lines
the Pacific realized that four the
ant Mississippi river The extent and
Importance of the interior coast lines thus conc
editor OF arpcrs Magazine:
"The basin of the Mississippi is the body of the nation
other parts but members important in themselves,
porant o and of
square miles Texas and Mexico
poets part at, this basin contains about square
miles 1t would contain Austria four times Germany
Spain times times, Italy
times Conceptions formed from the basins of Europe
uey shocked when consider the of the valley the
Nisspp those formed from the sterile basins of the great
rivers of Siberia the lofty pateau of central Asia the mighty
sweep of the wampy Amazon adequate Latitude elevation and
rainfall all combine render of the Mississippi valley
capable supporting dense population. As dwelling place
civilized man. it is by far the first upon globe
But great the Mississippi is sufficient itself
needs the world for market For its comfort and enrichment exacs
,,,,y, from people beyond the a
nVe o,S mue. &c NeP' gold the equiva-
ope' u "o''u u au0 lent merchandise 1t is, there
FORE seevdent that the prosperity of both the the and of
the miles back the whose products eventually
ports this coasne of the United States open and free
munication with all the rest of the world
interruption would be Immediately felt by
every anything SELL Prices would instantly drop indus
hundreds thousands would be thrown of
poymen The river is the of the nation and such it is vital
life all the valley Figures do not reveal
picture magnitude of the valley for the passage of
each ton of freight going down thread the fabric of some in
didua home the elimination of mans effort the beginning
anoe enterprise yet figures the best vehicle hand briefly
dictate the of its
For the years 1901 1913 inclusive the combined exports and i'm
ports passing along Mississippi and
eign ports, amounted to 1887 1863
export and import trade
ships placed around the United States has been
placed business would unchanged?
Pan and would instantly follow products of the fields
manufactured articles would pile the sohous and
would be wholly inadequate
remaining might be discovered in
land might eaty Every umbeman, every
planter every manufacturer workman aborer would Immediately
Germany being okd by the steel collar of Eng
lands fleet would the commercial life of the valley be stranged by
standing off the mouth of the Mississippi river
The government charged with the duty Of maintaining
navy sufficient keep the mouth of the peaceful
sufficient also every Of cotton of rice of
live safely destination foreign and to
the merchandise that Is due the people
the Mississippi valley for what they have exported The American
traffic policeman of the high whose duty it to that trade
routes kept open for American commerce.
Ts when every father of family kept rifle the fireplace
for the defense his home has passed but the need of vigilance and
- -, . precauon greater than
MISSISSIPPI sa"ey D'9 today. The Mississippi valley is of
TIZe w odSe VI Wa' importance it
Rich in all that needs does
suppose intelligent foe would strive nightly both
for strategic reasons for Of its armies?
the danger of than
reasonable men safeguard bodily health If pence threat
end should be content with half measures? Common sense would de-
mand the OF barrier and the application every pauon
could devise And aymen would
responsibility of saying what sufficient Is not dis
ease? smallpox wipe whole villages but thanks
the adequate precautions practically unknown
Cholera ravage keep out do not
let arrive first and drive it out afterward The yeoweer