Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-03-17
j. s. NEVER Unless
DANGER OF ATTACK
Mr.. McCumber Warns Senate
Against Being Stampeded
Into Extravagances.

Asserting that the United
States was in less danger OF at
tack than ever before in its his
tory, Senator McCumber OF North
Dakota warned the Senate against
being stampeded by imaginary
dangers into wild and reckless
military and naval eXtravagances.
Great Britain. he said. could not pro-
tect her commerce against the United
States with three times her present
navy. Germany, he added. has lost
practically all her war vessels and
practically all her merchant marine;
France has third of her territory in
the hands of an enemy; large portion
of Russias armies are prisoners of war
to the Teutons. and japan is still bend
ing under the load of her last war tax.
For this country, AS powerful meas
ured by its resources, as any two ma
tions now exhausting themselves in the
deadly European struggle. with the
ocean between us. to lose its head is
worse than senseless," he said
No Exigency From Present War.
The present demand for preparedness
could not be based on any exigency re-
sulting from the present war. he said
because a campaign begun now would
not produce a single battleship for two
years.
has allowed It's function TO be usurped
by the executive until it has become
the tool to convert presidential pro-
grams into law" he said.
Congress should be the Judge of the
necessity and of the propriety of
changing our historical attitude
The moment Great Britain accepted
our challenge to war our cruisers
would scatter over the ocean in search
of her merchantmen. While she would
be attempting to guard the escape
from New York or Charlestown or New
Orleans. we would be sending cruisers
from San Francisco, Portland and Seat
lite. we would be sending submarines
to attack her ships from a hundred
other ports.
U. S. Could Crush Canada.
Looking to the northward, we could
send an army of such size as to crush
all resistance of her principal colony.
Canada. 1t would be impossible for
her in case of war to land sufficient
number of men to defend that province
Her stake would be too heavy ever
to court war with the United States if
she could with national honor prevent
it.
Il admit that we could force war on
Germany il we insist upon debating
how she shall conduct her war against
her enemies in every particular, and
we could declare war on her, but that
will not happen and if it should han
pen the five years program would not
help us now.
And is it Japan? Can that little is
land Of 100000 people. poorest of the
poor. with no credit on the face of the
earth. attempt to make a war on ma
ton two and a half times her popula
tion. 100 times her resources and 400
times her territory:
"Will the present war craze of Eli
rope develop into such utter imbecility
of any of the great nations that il
would attempt an invasion of the
United States:
Every warning nation knows that if
we should throw the weight OF our
great prowess against either of the
nearly balanced forces now at war it
power against which it should be
hurled No nation is pursuing a policy
to our interests because of
our military Or naval Wea EneeSesn