Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-07
oITIJI'I. TLNCTTETt
brakes Branch. February 4.


Adequate Protection Needed
To the Editor of The Times Dispatch:
Sir.--That intelligent, wcil-informcd
OBSERVING ana patriotic citiZcifS Of this
rich ana unrcady republic should on
| pose the nationwide and descrvcdly
| popular demand for naval ana military
/ preparedness Is hard TO understand.
Perhaps the intelligence of these folks
, is not as strong or as sound as il might
| Wei be; perhaps their reading is not as
! dccp or as wide as would naturally be
/ expected OF those who attempt TO speak
with carncatncSS ana conviction on
subjects Of almost universal interest:
perhaps thcir vision is not sufficiently
Keen ana penetrating to enable them
10 see beyond their own Shrivclcd
sphere Oh prejudice and self-interest.
and perhaps their patriotism. instead
/ Of being that sturdy and red bloohed
/ love Of ones native land ilnmortaliZed
! by Walter scott. is OF the grape juice
! or milk water variety. ana is linn
I tied to persons Of some Circumscr!bcd
area ana TO places that are but faint
! dots upon the broad cXpansc Of This
! Country's map.
! We in the United States go about in
/ peace ana serenity and transact our
| business or pursue our pleasure com
! paratiVe!y undiSturbcd by the convul-
SicnS of EurOpcS civil war. Why?
The most important if not the sole rct-
son Is that the United Kingdom. with
some help from it's allies. continues su-
preinc on water There Is not in this
/ land to-day one serious and discerning
unhyphcnated thinker who doesn't re-
/ cognize this fact, and who doesn't
! breathe more freely and easily because
! OF 1t. We are exceedingly fortunate in
/ that the vast navy Of our nearest
! ncighbor ana best friend stands. or
rather cruises, between us and danger;
/ between our peace loving, unmilitary
! and Industrious people and the cold
| bloodcd, calculating and defiant outlaw
1 Germany. Had it not been principally
| for Great Britain's sea strength the
! entente powers, who are in the main
! fghting TIA. good fight Of liberty, de-
! inocracy and justice, would by this
/ time probably have been forced to
/ their knees. and their arrogant and
I Observation-Disclosures conqucror would be
| debating terms Of peace. The German
empire would then be in :, position 10
| challenge the validity Of our sclf-cou-
| stitutcd duty and sclf-authoriZcd privi-
legc OF holding and UNFOLDING the Mon
| roe Doctrine. That the war lords VINO
| direct the policies of that nation would
| demand and insist upon the right to
| colOnizc in the Western Hemisphere
, may he accepted as foregone con-
/ clusion. These are only suppositiors
| IL IL true, but the possibility Of to-day
I, is often the probability Of Tomorrow
| ana the certainty Of the day after to-
! morrow.
America is doubtless too biz; and too
! powerful potentially TO be conquered
| or TO remain conquered even IL It's SUBJ
! Jugation, whether in whole or in part,
/ We're effected. But we do not want to
/ be forced 10 convince 10y force some
| INSCRIPTIONS and greedy would be
| world empire that, III it's prcpostcrous
/ pretcnsions and In it's mad desire for
! conquest. II is like the heather who
I rage and the people who Imagine Il
I vain thing. We should stop depending
/ upon our allies. the Atlantic and the
d Pacific Oceans; man is greater than
/ nature, and distance is fast becoming
Il ncIliblc quantity. We should cease
1 To rely upon tho goodwill and the
/ armed strength OF our sorcly harasscd
/ friends who fight our battles while
/ fighting their own. Their liking FOR
] Us has for some time been waning, and
! their endurance may ultimately prove
Z unequal 10 the terrific strain OF bat
J Ting against tho fierce and heavy
: blows OF the most formidable fighting
! machine known To history.
We who are glad 10 live in this land
/ Of the free and the home OF the brave,
7 who arc TOO proud not 10 fiTh, when
+ fchtiug is a duty. should require and
7 sec to IL that our representatives do
I what they can tn give Us AN army and
! {" navy strong enough ana sufficiently
We'll equipped and prepared TO enable
the government to protect It's law
( abiding citizens and its Legitimate in
+ tcrcsts on this continent and elsewhere:
70 enforce If necessary It's wise and
/ righteous policies. both domestic and
! foreign: and TO play its due ana proper
J part in policing the globe. resisting in
justice and oppression. developing tho
7 waste and dcsolatc places of the earth,
and Fastening the good time forcsecn
10y the prophct-poet, when
," tho war drum throhhcd TO longer
and the battle flags were furl.d,
! In the Parliament Of man, the fedora
8 tiON q; the world.
There thc common sense of most shall
hold q fretful realm In awe,
And the kindly earth shall slumber.
lapt I'm universal law
WILLIAM II. SHIELDS.
Lexington, Va. February 9.