Evening journal., 1916-04-29

NnAiNiEoi I'm . N'f RltN ~'s
Congressman Thomas w. Miller, OF
Delaware. was speaker at the South
ern National Defense Conference
here yesterday afternoon "begisla-
ton and Preparedness was his sub
ject Mr.. Miller spoke with more
than passing knowledge, for he Is the
only member OF Congress who par
ticipated IN the business and profes-
sional mems training camp al Platts-
burgh. ~ Y.
Coneressman Miller emphasized the
need Of an adequate army and navy
and a merchant marine as prepared
ness FOR peace rather than for ag-
gression
In the course OF his speech Con-
gressman Miller said.
when your organization extended
TO me an invitation to come to
Charleston, accepted the opportunity
to bring before a body such as yours,
certain facts which confront this coun-
try on one OF the vital questions OF
the day. generally referred 20 as the
National Defense problem. Legislation
and the question Of preparedness go
hand i'm hand. for without the former
We are unable to provide new laws.
which are necessary i'm order 10 bring
about the necessary increase In our
army and navy. without the latter
we are unable to protect the laws and
institutions already founded. The
ewes Of the country today are focused
ON Washington. where within the next
few months international and ma
- Col hmm IA
will be settled, as they relate to the
nresent and the near distant future,
hy the Congress now In session.
The torn preparedness has he
come so worn that II needs no elabora-
ton i'm any discussion in which the
subject is brought up. For instance,
In thc Congress at Washington there
are nrobahly as many ideas on pre-
paredness as there are individual
members. because hardly any two mon
would do exactly alike i'm any matter
n they had Il themselves to do without
interference from anyone Practically
all legislation is matter OF compro-
misc between conflicting ideas ana
opposing forces This Of course. ap-
plies io the army legislation that Is
p
Houses of Congress. known generally
as the ay-Chambcrlan bill. as well
as the military. naval and fortliica-
ton appropriation bills. which will
come along shortly. These various
measures are the preparedness bills
by which will be determined not only
the policy advocated by the present
Congress, but they will. OF necessity
serve as q guide for army and navy
legislation by future Congresses. II
is therefore time OF all times for the
representatives of the people at Wash
-ington TO place in the background per.
sonal and sectional ideas and look al
the question from the standpoint oi
a national legislator legisating loi
the good OF the United States. as
whole. There can be no doubt, how
ever. that all OF us in this countr,
are united on the question OF pre-
paredness. as far as II relates to th'
defense OF the nation. as compared e
preparedness for aggression. This ma
tiOn has never been to aggression OF
conquest, and never win be. We. II
this country. desire. In addition u
preparedness for defense. state o
preparation which will enable us L
hold our own in the intornationa
councils OF the world for the enforce
ment Of peace and order. therefore
preparedness to enforce peace Gomez
next 10 preparedness for defense ant
ahead Of preparedness for aggression
Armament as Insurance.
Every nation on the face OF th
globe whose influence is felt in tn
minutest manner has some form o
armament represented by an army o
navy. or both. This nation has ha
some semblanco Of an army and
navy ever since its foundation. Thes
forces were provided for the defens
OF the country and not for aggression
because this nation has not been on
OF conquest The army and navy q
this country can therefore be consid
cred as the national insurance poll
cies; just as necessary aud essentia
as insurance of various kinds are {
corporations or individuals. There
Just as much logic in arguing for
total absence OF armamonts amon
nations as there would he in putin
forward The proposition 10 do ava
with all forms of insurance Thi
world is made mp of the people VIII
live upon the surface Of It's globe, an,
although the various peoples are d
vided into many nations and races.
nation or a country cannot he cor