Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-09
Another Great Speech the People
Should Know About.
Extracts from speech Of Congressman
Frank W. Mondell (Republican)
of Wyoming, which the big
Press Associations did not
carrVl

carry.
MR. MONDELL-At a time when
the nayies Of the warning powers have
been decreased hundreds of thou
sands of tons by destruction OF ships
and when those nations are loading
themselves with a debt which will
render 1t utterly impossible for them
/ to continue great programs after
peace IS declared, we have outlined q
three-year program more ambitious
and expensive than any ever pro-
posed by any nation In the world s
history. And yet, those of US who do
not approve the last ship and the last
dollar Of this enormous expenditure
are characterized as "pacifists," and
our patriotism is questioned by the
more extreme and hysterical of those
who are clamoring for naval and army
expenditures.
What is the necessity or the excuse
for a continuing program for three
years? Why should we pledge the
future and coming congresses to the
tune of $500, 100000? Will the new
congress have less patriotism and less
wisdom than this congress? Can not
the next congress provide for what
ever may be necessary at that time?
The fact IS, the continuing program is
purely political. The administration
was criticized for not being sufficient
ly for preparedness" Administration
leaders finally came to the conclusion
that preparedness was popular. They
started out in cold blood to out
Herod the most rampant preacher of
preparedness and the only way to
make the thing look big enough to
stop the mouth Of the most blatant of
the howlers was to have a three-year
program and run the cost up to near a
billion.
If there is any credit in II, the credit
belongs to the republicans. for they
forced the hand of the administration
II you think this enormous program
unw1se, unjustiiable, and wicked, as
l do, the blame is on the democrats,
for they control the administration
and both houses of congress. Their
members vote as the administration
wants them to. In the house a great
many republicans have from the first
believed in a large naval program,
some of them have believed in a very
large program On the democratic
side not a handful of men have, in
their hearts, believed in or approved
the programs now proposed, but they
viii vote for them just the same. be-
cause the president wants them to. AS
between men who will vote for a thing
because they believe in II and those
who vote for a thing because their
party leaders tell them to, I have the
greatest respect for those who vote
their opinions, even though l may
disagree with their views
Now, just a word abou THE confer
ence report. I do not think it is per-
fect-far from it-but l congratulate
the house cOnferees on the good they
have accomplished and what they still
hope to accomplish. At one time and
aonther We have heard a great deal
about the propriety of following the
views of the experts meaning. in a
case like this, the naval officers.
While this bill was before the senate
the secretary of the navy sent down
the provisions for the commissioned
personnel, which had been drawn by
the experts. My opinion is. il never
was examined in the senate, and when
it reached the house it was discovered
that the experts had taken care of
themselves and their brother officers