New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-09
GREAT BRITAIN IS
EAGER TO SUPPORT
LEAGUE Of NATIONS
But Cannot Accept It as Substitute
for Her Own Powerful Navy,
Churchill Says /
SAFETY OF The ISLAND
DEPENDS ON ITS FLEET

British Minister of Munitions Insists
That Other Nations Must Recog-
nize EngIand's Unique Position
Says Royal Navy Has Protected
America During war-WiU Support
Peace Program.
London, Dec. 9, via Montread.-A
Great Britain will use all her influ-A
ence to make the league of nations a.
powerful reality, but she cannot re-
gard it as a substitute for her own
navy in any measurable period ofN
time, Winston Spencer Churchill, the
minister of munitions, declared in an Y
article contributed to the Glasgow
Sunday Post.
In his article which treats of Brit 4
ish naval supremacy in amplificationR
of his recent address on the subject.
Mr.. Churchill speaks of Great Brit \
aims unique position among the nal Y
tions of the world.
Fleet Protects Island.
'Our safety from invasion, our
daily bread, every means whereby We
maintain our existence as an indepen- Il
dent people; our unity as an empireM
or federation of Commonwealths and#
dependencies-alI these float fromM
hour to hour upon our naval de-
fense," Mr.. Churchill writes.
"If that defense is neglected, weak
ened or fettered," he continues, we
all shall be in continual danger on
subiugation or starvation. We shalIE
be forced to live in continued anxi- NJ
ETY.. If that naval defense were everH
overpowered or out-matched by any,
other navy or probably by a combs M
nation of navies we should hold, not
merely our own possessions but our ~
lives and liberties only on sufferance. .M
Has Right to Recognition.
Where else in the whole worldM
can such conditions be paralleled rM
We have the right to demand from al IA
other nations, friends and foes alike#
full recognition of these facts. We
also are entitled to point out that this#
naval strength that we require and
which we are determined to preserveM
has never been used in modern his -@
ner and that it has on four separate e8
occasions in four separate centuries @
against Philip II. of Spain, Louls8&
XIV, Napoleon and the Kaiser, sue #
cessfully defended civilization from
tyranny and particularly# Nm
preserved the independence of tho
low countries.
Britain Shielded America. #
I'm this greatest of all wars, the eM
British navy shielded mighty Ameri -#
ca from all menace of serious danger
and when she resolved to act it waa#
the British navy that transported and
escorted the greater portion of her&
armies to the rescue and deliverancel el
Of France. Our record in a hundred#
years of unquestioned naval sway
since Trafalgar, proves the sobriety ofA
our policy and the righteousness ofA@
our intentions. Almost the onlyM
ports in the world open freely to the M
Of all nations were those
Of our islands. It's possessions and
our coaling stations were used freely8
md fully by the ships of all nations. 8
Feats of Royal Navy. @
We suppressed the slave trade. .
We put down piracy. We put it down AN
again the other day. Even our coast 8
wise traffic, so jealousy guarded ~
every power in the world, was thrownA#
open to all corners on even terms byH3
hat ancient people in whose keeping H&
he world has been wisely ready toll
sntrust the freedom of the seas
1--WE are sincere advocates of aAa
eague of nations. Every inf1ucnce M
Britain can bring to bear will be used a
% make such a league a powerful M
reality. This fine conception g.
President Wilson has been warmly HR
by the British democracyB&
LII over the world. We shall strive Co
and loyalty carry it lnto8 8
>eing and keep it in active benefieN
md existence. But we must stata#M
quite frankly that "a league Of ma %#
ions cannot be for us Il substitutes
,or the British navy in any perioS8
hat we can foresee," E
M8#