Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1916-03-04

In receipt OF your letter Of Feb. 10
which | had already seen LIBERAL,
quoted In the press OF u state. II
would not call for a reply but fol
some erro Of statements which
attribute to the haste Of preparation
or to careless reading OF the resolu
lions adopted by your constituents Of
this city.
The resolutions do not ask you tC
follow the president blindly. They
distinctly declare that the details oil
needed and efficient expansion OF the
army and navy are matters OF expert
and technical knowledge which we dc
not possess. but VI win c~heerfully ap
prove any plans which the president.
the congress and their advisers may
evolve In the wisdom OF counsel.
There is In this expression no hint OF
blind following OF the president. On
the contrary. Il is a broad avowal OF
confidence In the high purpose OF both
the congress and the president, and II
distinctly recognizes the fundamental
principles OF coordination between
the legislative and the executive func.
lions OF our government.
"The policy OF better national pre-
p%aredness for defense as advocated
by President Wilson" was the policy
deliberately recommended In his mes
sage TO congress which the mass
meeting was considering. II was not
the policy which alarmists might in.
fer by a strained construction OF
chance phrases In his later public ad.
dresses. | was myself a little dis.
turbed by his reported declaration for
the greatest navy In the world. but
in the light OF pending complications
and portents. | am not so confident
that he is wrong even in that | call
your attention TO an Amsterdam dis
patch in the newspapers OF Feb. 81,
quoting a distinguished German naval
officer who affirms that "a majority
OF German naval officers believe that
a complete breach between Germany
and America would be conducive to a
far earlier victorious termination OF
the war. and concludes with the state.
ment that America. when defeated.
would have to surrender all German
merchant ships which she had seized
and also to pay all war costs Of the
central powers and their allies" For
aught we know, similar views may be
entertained by other warning nations.
But more %portentous than any con.
temptation OF war and tribute by a
foreign country is the present attitude
OF many members Of congress in wish.
ing actually to ~abrogate the right OF
American citizens TO travel on the
high seas. As the president aptly
phrases Il in his letter to Senator
Stone. ito forbid our people to exer.
else their rights for fear we might be
called upon to vindicate them would
be a deep humiliation indeed" | as.
sumo that members OF congress are
moved to accept such humiliation be-
cause they realize that we are not
now prepared to vindicate the rights
OF travel. | cannot conceive an
American congress for any other rea.
son deliberately abandoning the prin.
clple OF the freedom OF the seas. For
prudential reasons | would forego the
privilege OF travel for pleasure under
present conditions. but | would not
surrender my right TO use the worlds
highways. and | insist upon the pro.
lection OF my government when duty
or legitimate business requires me to
travel. I have no need for govern
ment when | am unmolested; | need
II only when my rights are denied. II
the flag is not an emblem OF protec.
ton. II Is merely a rainbow OF silly
sentiment.
1 note your quotation from the ties.
timony Of Admiral Fletcher, concern
ing the relative strength OF our navy.
and from the testimony OF General
Miles to the effect that we are now
prepared 10 repel an invasion Of 800.
600 men. A sufficient answer TO both
is that they are discounted by tn pre-
ronderance OF evidence to the contra.
~. II you were a Judge on the bench,
I think you would be warranted an
der the Law and the evidence In In
structing the jury to render a verdict
for preparedness. But | cannot re-
frain from expressing the opinion that
the operations at this moment under
way at verdun furnish n conclusive
demonstration that General Miles was
thinking in terms Of our Indian wars
and Of our easy victory owe decrepit
Spain. rather than in terms Of Euro.
pean efficiency. When the South
seeded. some Of our military sharps
declared that we could whip the
Yankees before breakfast" on the
other hand. President Lincoln first
thought TO subdue the South with &C..
900 volunteers. The result on both
sides was a sad demonstration that