Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-11-16

Rro rcSpOnsiblc, were suhden;:' re-
| moved 10000 mi!os across the sen. Eup-
| posing that you found that tho very
heart OF your empire. tho very heart
or this great state. WAN u small, u
crowded Island, depending on over
| sea TRADE not merely, not chiefly, FOR
| Its luxuriea. but depending upon over
seas communication for the raw ma
ter!al Ot those manufactures by
| which it's supcrabundau. population
lives: depending upon tho same over
sea communication for the food upon
which they subsist.
Surprising II was n familiar thought
In your mind that there never were
at any moment of the year. within
the limits OF Your State more than
seven weeks food for the population,
and that that food had to be replen-
ished by oversen communication.
Then. II you Will draw that picture,
and il you will see all that 1t implies
and all that il carries with It, you
VIII understand why 1t Is that every
citizen of the British empire,
whether he comes from the far do
minions OF the Pacific or whether he
lives In the small island in the North
Seas. never can forget TINT Il liz by
that without sea communications he
and the empire to which he belongs
would perish.
Not 1.nMcntinE Weakness.
Now. ladies and gentlemen. do not
suppos" that ] am uitering lamen,s
over the weakness of my empire. Far
from IT, We are strong, hope. I'm
the vigorous life of its constituent
nnrtS We ~ CT I in
ardent patriotism which binds us all
together. But this strategic weak
ness is obvious to everybody who re-
Fleets: il is present in the minds OF
our enemies, if we have enemies. DO
not let it he forgotten by our friends
These reflections. with your kind
ness. | have INDUCED in in order to
explain why ii is tina, | am address,
ing YOU ut the present time. We
nave had 10 consider. and we have
considered. the great scheme laid be-
Tore you by our chairman. We have
considered il with admiration and
approval We agree with ii in spirit
and In principle. We look TO il MS
being the basis of the greatest re-
form In the matter Of armament and
preparation for war that has ever
bern conceived or carried out by the
courage and patriotism OF statesmen.
l do not pretend. Of courso--it would
De i"liy TO pretcnd-that this or any
other scheme. by whatever genius
II may have been Contrived. can deal
WIN every subject: can cover the
whole ground of int"rnationa! recon-
struction. II would he folly 10 make
the attempt. and IL would be folly To
pretend that the attempt has yet been
hla"e IN any single scheme as was
most clearly explained Ivy the Score
larE of state on Saturday The
scheme deals. and deals only. with
three nations which own the largest
meets al present In the world 1t
therefore. of necessity. omitS all con-
Sidcration for the time being OF those
European nations who have di-
miniSh"d their fcetS. ana who M
present have no desire. and | hone
never viii have any desire. TO own
fleets beyond the necessities that ma
| tional honor and national defense re-
quirc.
Does Not Touch I.nnd Armpments.
| Again, 1t does not touch n question
which every man coming from Eu-
rope must feel to be question OF
immense and almost paramount i'm
portance; ! mean the heavy burden
OF land armaments. That IL left on
on" side. to he dealt with by other
schemes ana in other ways What IL
does liz surely one OF the biggest
things that has ever yet been done by