The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-12-01
1Il|lll
VITAL SAYS CHURCHILL

London, Nov. 21.-Great Britain must
retain her naval supremacy regard
less OF any arguments. plans or APP
peals that may be made otherwise, is
the contention or WINSTON churchtft.
minister Of munitions and former first
lord of the admiralty. Speaking on
the subject ne said
Nothing in the world. no sRrgu-
ments. however specious. no appeals.
however reductive, must lead you to
abandon that naval supremacy on
which the life of our country depends.
And not only the life Of our country,
for the British navy has preserved for
the third time in history, the freedom
Of the woridsagainst a military tyrant--,
against P4pp the Second, of Spain,
against NIX oleon and against Kaiser
Wilhelm. Without 1t. not only should
we have lost but all would have been
lost and Ne whole world would have
been cast back for centuries.
II am hopeful and sincere advocate
of the league OF nations. / will do
everything in my power to make such
an instrument a practical and power
full reality. / hope to see an imm ense
reinsurance come to all countries and
peoples from the setting up of such
league. But the league of nations IL
no substitute for the supremacy OF
the British fleet. This Ia a matter on
"nicH you nave TO. sldHu on your
guard.
Naval supremacy ia vital to US. but
II we are to be entrusted with that
tremendous trust for all nations We
must continue in the paths of sober
virtue which our fathers and grand
fathers followed. Our greatness owes
as much to the principles OF Gladstone
as to the victories of Lord Nelson.
From the battle Of Trafalgar 10 the
leo years, we were absolutely supreme
at sea, All other nations together
could not have faced US. Did we abuse
our power. did We misappiy this
enormous advantage. On the contrary
we wefe the only nation whose ports
were open to the entire world whose
markets were unrestricted by any
tariff, whose coastwise trade was not
held as 4 national monopoly.
This tremendous victory. stagger-
ing, astounding in its completeness, In
not only triumph of our fleets and
armies. 1t Is triumph of our political
ideals. We have beaten the Ger1ans,
not only out OF their trenches. We
have beaten them out OF their political
system. Our instructions have been
proved to be better than theirs. not
only for peace, but for war Our
British way of doing things lie no.
where more admired than among the
nations we have overthrow It Is the
wonder OF the world. II the other ma
tions OF the world are content to allow
US to keep the supremacy OF the seas
without demur 1t will be because we
hold ii as a trust for all
let us preserve our great and old
renown as first of the FREQ and liberal
nations of the world. birthplace of
parliaments, as the pioneer of popular
government and as the unfailing foun-
tain Of enlightened thought and hu
mantarian sentiment.
That does not mean that we should
give up the fruits OF victory. Practi-
cally the whole German nation was
guilty of the crime of the aggressive
war conducted by brutal and bestial
means. II is no use. their pretending
that their late government is solely to
blame. They were all in ii and must
all suffer for It,
Particular individuals against whom
definite breaches of the laws of war on
land and sea can be proved or who
can be proved to have treated prison
ers with cruelty should be brought to
trial and punished as criminals. how
ever highly placed. Alsace and I.or-
ra inc must be com pleteiy restored to
France. Poland must be reconstructed
a nation with access to the sea and
Germany must give up her Polish prov
inces. None of the German colonies
will ever be restored to Germany and
none of the conquered parts OF Tur-
key will ever be restored to Turkey.
"Repa ration must be made by Ger
many. to the utmost limit possible.
for the damage she has done. I COR
daily SYM pathize with those who say
make them pay the expenses of the
war. II the allies have not claimed
this it is for one reason only. 1t Ia not
physically possible for them to do SO.
REPATRIATION FIR the1tdan5aEe viii rsenn
ran into the thousands OF millions"