Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-02-08
FIFTH DISTRICT CONGRESSMAN
AMAZED AT CHANGE OF At
TlTUpE OF PRESIDENT.
DENIES HE STANDS WITH
MANN, OF ILLINOIS
Mr.. Good Favors Moderate Increases
in Both Army and Navy in Men and
Materials But Can Not Accept Con-
tinental Army Plan-lnconsistencies
in Wilson's Attitude.
Especial Correspondence.l

Especial CorreSp ondenCe.l
Washington, Feb. s.-Representative
Good, of the Fifth district. in an in
terview today. took exceptions to state
ments in which he has been repre-
sented as holding the same views on
preparedness as Mann, OF Illinois, who
lately spoke in the house. MIR. Good
says no man is authorized to speak for
the republican members and differ
enCes OF View on defense are wide. He
also CritiCizes some Of the presidents
recent utteranCes. MI. Coed said:
Y am amazed at the statement pub
hshed IN the Chicago Tribune and sub
seQuentIy quoted by Iowa papers, pu--
porting 10 be an interview from me
on the question OF preparedness. A few
days ago a Tribune reporter asked me
If Mr.. Mann's speech in the house rep
resented the sentiment OF the repubN-
can members of the house. I answered
that l did not believe that any man
could speak for the republican mem
bers OF the house upon that question.
that it was not and ought not to De a
question upon which party lines would
be drawn, and that l was afraid the
republican members from New Eng
land. New York and New Jersey were
in favor Of entering on a military pro-
gram more extensive than the one out
lined by the president. l see by the
papers that l am quoted as having said
that the republicans Of the house were
in favor of entering on a military pro-
gram more extensive than the presi-
dents plan, and that l personally ia
vored the adoption Of a preparedness
program greater than the one outlined
by the president. l have never said
anything to any one that could be 50
construed.
Wide Difference Of Opinion.
There is a wide divergence of opin-
ion on this question between the mem
bers of the house. No one can speak
for the repun blican members. nor can
any one speak for the democratic
members. Party lines will unques-
tionably be broken. AS for myself. l
have repeatedly said that there has
never been q time in our history when
We were better able to defend ourselves
than at present.. After the civil war
and up to the outbreak Of the Spanish
American war. we never appropriated
more than 10000 900 year for ma
tional defense During the past ten
years we have appropriated about
S250,o00O00 a year for such purpose
/ think there never was a time in our
history when we We're more secure from
attack by a foreign foe than at the
present time. l shall vote for some
new projects in the fertilization bill
this year. as l have every year since
/ have been il congress. This year |
shall vote for a provision TO acquire
and add to our defense the Hammond
radio control torpedo, which is UNI
quest!onably the greatest invention OF
our time, so far as coast defense is
concerned. ! shall! vote for some in
creases in the army and navy both in
men and material, as l have in the
past, but am unalterably opposed n
the large standing army advocated by
the president, and shall vote against
his proposal to make our navy the
greatest in the world. Our people
would not long submit to the heavy
burden of taxation which such a plan
would require, The president may say
that the adoption Of such policy il
not militarism. but his saying so does
not establish the fact. BY the adoption
Of such a program We abandon our
time honored policy Of small standing
army, and seek to become the first
military power IN the world. That
means miHtar!sm; If not, what policy
could we adopt 10 which that term
could appropriately be applied?
agreed with President Wilson a year
ago when he said that our defenses
were ample, and that this was no time
TO become nervous or excited but I can
not agree with him now regarding a
policy which If adopted will be bur
dersome to our people and dangerous
to the government itself"
Amazed by Wilson's Utterances.
When asked what ne thought Of the
speeches made by the president on his
recent tour, Mr.. Good said
'I have read some Of mis- statements
with amazement, for instance, the
statement made by the president that
he did not have men enough in the
army today 70 patrol our Mexican Dor
ders and keep out the troublesome
Mexicans. This IS startling. Less than
two years ago President Wilson ap-
peared before congress in person and
asked authority to use the armed forces
OF the United States to go into Mex
leo and compel General Huerta to ss-
iute the flag of the United States. We
have more men in our army today
than We had then, when the president
proposed to clean up Mexico with our
army. The people are not fools, and
this statement of the president will I'M
quest;onably be scrutiniZed by the
American people before ii will be ac-