Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1916-08-24
SPEECH OF
HONORABLE JAS. K. VARDAMAN
of Mississippi
THE NAVAL Bill,
Delivered in the Senate of the United States
on July 18th, 1916
THE NAVAL BILL,
CTaken from the Congressional Pecord)


the Nation, the Secretary Of the Nav,
| and the naval officers would not hav
tolerated this delay In the bulIdln
OF ships already authorized II Their
had been any possible danger of imr,e
date war with any foreign country
To intimate that these officers charg
ed with the responsibility of thei
great places would be guilty of such
dereliction of duty would be an i'm
parchment which | would not make
That our Navy is big enough anC
strong enough to take care of Ameri
can interests and meet successfully
any demand made upon it, the most
radical advocate of preparedness will
not deny. There is abundant evidence
from the lips and pen of the highest
naval authorities In America to estab
fish the fact: Our Navy is greater than
Germany's, much stronger than
Frances, nearly twice as large az
Japan's. There is no doubt, | repeat
about the superiority of our Navy. Can
it be possible then that this haste is
due to the fact that the advocates of
this nefarious poIicy-this unfortu.
nate scheme, understand that this law
must be enacted now while the public
| mind is nfamed, public judgment dis.
torted by the manufactured sentiment
which has fired the war spirit, or it
| will not be enacted at all? Is il the
purpose of the preparedness patriots
to weld the collar of imperialism
around the necks of American freemen
while the iron is hot? Must we COM
init the American people to this un-
American policy before cool and DELHI
crate judgment assumes her normal
sway?
Must the course of the ship of state
that has fioated so steadily, guided
by reason and truth, justice and altru,
ism, for the past 100 years, now be
turned from her splendid course by
the storm of passion, the undercur-
rents of greed and curdity and con
Stunning desire for gain, into the mael-
strOm of military despotism? God for
bid! 1t is time, Mr.. President, that
the American Congress should take
couseI of its higher wisdom and con-
slider the interests of the American
people, large part of the products of
whose toll this policy of prepared
meas" will absorb. Think of the bur-
dens that will be piled up upon the ach-
ing stOop of the men and women whose
labor feeds and clothes the world
Think of the opportunities that this
expensive policy will deny the boys
and Girls Of America living, and those
yet to come. Think of the influence
that this one act is going to have upon |
the nations of the earth
1t is pregnant with the suggestions
of conflict, 1t bresthes the breath of |
Imperialism and inculcates by example |
the lessons of war. II is fuel to the |
flames that burn in the hearts of the |
people which consume the nobIer and |
gentler qualities of the soul. 1t is al. |
together contrary to the genius of |
American institutions and involves a
reputation of American ideals. We |
should consider how it will POSTPONE
the coming of that glorious day when
the umpirage of reason shall rule the
world rather than the force of the
bIoodstained sword. We should think Of
all these things before taking this un.
fortunate step. For when the step
shall be once taken 1t will be difficult
to retrace it. Now, to say that world
peace is a Utopian dream, and to dis
card with sheer the suggestion that
an international court may be organ
lied by the nations of the earth, to
which all international differences
shall be submitted, and the rule of rea.
son rather than the arbtrament of the
sword shall settle these questions
will be very foolish on our part; and,
in 20 ha a., |
by the very terms of this bill itself.
Let us see what the bill provides.
read:
Quotes From the Bill.
Upon the conclusion of the war
in Europe, or as soon thereafter
as it may be done, the President of
the United States is authorized to
invite all the great Governments
of the world to send representa-
tives to conference which shall
be charged with the duty of sug-
costing an organization, court of
arbitration, or other body, to
which disputed questions between
nations shall be referred for ad-
Indication and peaceful settle
ment, and to consider the ques-
IlOh VI ulodl LldIuSHL anu submit
their recommendation to their re
spective Governments for APPROX
al. The President is hereby au-
thorized to appoint nine citizens of
the United States, who, in his
judgment, shall be qualified for
such duty, to be representatives
of the United States in such a con-
ference. The President shall fix
the compensation of said repre-
sentatives and such secretaries
and other employees as may be
needed. Two hundred thousand
dollars, or so much thereof as may
be necessary, is hereby appropri-
ated and set aside and placed at
the disposal of the President to
carry into effect the provisions of
this paragraph.
II at any time before the appro-
prfations authorized by this act
shall have been contracted for
there shall have been established,
with the cooperation of the Unit
ed States of America, an interna-
tional tribunal or tribunals com.
petent to secure peaceful deter
limitations Of all international dis
putes, and which shall render un-
necessary the maintenance of
competitive ornaments, then and
In that case such naval expendi-
kvvR n0 ~ L..