Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-11-15

I Id4lpuE speech IOlAOWS.
Mr.. Chairman:
You have invited those who desired it
| to continue the discussc- which began
| on Saturday, last. 1 think it would be
I very unfortunate if W. were to allow the
| events Of Saturday to pass without some
further observations on the part of those
| to whom you, Mr.. Chairman, addressed
your speech and, if for any reasons which
/ | shall venture to explain in moment,
I am the first to take up the challenge,
it is because Of all the powers here as
sembled. the country which l represent
! is, as everybody knows, most intimately
interested in all naval questions.
statesmen of all countries are begin
ming TO discover that the labOrs and diff
hculties of peace are almost as arduous
and require almost as great qualities as
those which are demanded for the con
duct Of a successful war.
{ The struggle to restore the world to
the condition OF equilibrium, so violent
" interfered with by five years Of war,
IS one that taxes and must tax the eff
forts of everybody.
NOVEMBER I2
WORLD ANNIVERSARY.
| Il congratulate you, II / may, Mr..
Chairman, on the fact that you have
added new anniversary which hence
forth VIII be celebrated in connection
with this movement towards reconstruc-
, ton In the same spirit in which we well
coined the anniversary celebrated only
I few hours ago. of the date on which
hOstilities came TO an end. If the
eleventh of November is date imprinted
on grateful hearts, think Nov. IL will
also prove to be an anniversary vel
coined and thought of in IA grateful spirit
by those who in the future shall look
back upon the arduOus struggle now
being made by the civilized nations of
the world, not merely to restore pre-war
conditions, but to see that war cOndi-
lions shall never again exist.
-, 4 count myself among the fortunate Of
the earth in that | was present, and to
| that extent had a share in the proceed
ings Of last Saturday. They were
) memorable indeed. The secret was adj
mirably kept. 1 hope that all the
secrets. SO long as they ought to be
secret, Of our discussions, viii be well
kept. In my less sanguine mood I have
my doubts. But, however that may be,
the secret in this case was most ad-
mirably kept, and I listened to a speech
| which I thought eloquent, appropriate,
in every way a fitting prelude to the
. work of the conference which was about
TO open, or which. indeed, has been
| supposing that anything very dramatic
lay behind. And suddenly l became
| aware. as I suppose all present became
| aware. that they were assisting not
/ merely at an eloquent and admirable
/ speech, but at & great historical event
| 1T was led up with such art. The
| transition seemed so natural. that when
the blow fell, when the speaker uttered
gone round and found an echo IN every
/ Quarter Of the civilized world It came
as a shock of profound surprise; 1t eX-
cited the sort Of emotions We have Wnen
some wholly new event suddenly springs
into view and We felt that a new chapter
in the history Of world reconstruction mad
! been worthily opened.
! "The absolute simplicity Of the proceed
ure. the easy transition and the great
I dramatic climax were the perfection OF
3 art. which shows that the highest art
and the most perfect simplicity are very
/ often combined.
Vow, l said I would explain why I
/ venture to rise first today to deal with
/ the subject which is in all hearts. As
/ I have limited. II Is because the British
| empire and Great Britain. the two to
I getber are more profoundly concerned
I with all that touches matters naval than
! II is possible for any other nation TO be,
and this not, believe me, for any rea-
/ sons of ambition. not for any reasons
drawn from history OF tradition, but
/ from the hard, brutal necessities of plain
and obvious facts.
DEPICTS PERILS
OF EMPIRE.
'.There never has been in the history
/ of the world a great empire constituted
I as the British empire is. II Is a tact,
no doubt familiar TO everybody whom
/ I am addressing at the present moment,
but has everybody whom ! am address
ing imaginatively conceived precisely
I what the situation Of the British empire
{ is in this connection:
Most Of NV audience are citizens of
I the United States. The United states
/ stands solid, impregnable, Insufficient,
all its lines Of communication protected,
/ dOubly protected, completely protected
I from any conceivable hostile attack 1t is
not merely that you are one hundred and
ten millions population; IL Is not merely
( that you are the wealthiest country IN
the world; it is that the whole conflgu-
e a~aw- Ns. IA 81 aN
position Of your country, is such that
you are wholly immune from the par
ticular perils 10 which, from the nature
Of the case, the British Empire is sub
Ject
Western States, for whose safety you are
responsible were suddenly removed 10000
miles across he sea. Supposing that
empire. the very heart Of this great State,
was a small a crowded island depending
for overseas trade, not merely. not chiefly,
for Its IuXuTleS, but depending upon over
seas Communication for the raw material
of those manufacturers by which Its
/ super-abundant population lives; depend
Ing upon the same overseas communica-
ton for the food upon which they sub
sist- Supp0sinr IL was a familiar thought
In your mind that there never were at
any moment OF the year within the limits
If your state, more than seven weeks food
for the population. and that their food
had to he replenished by overseas COM
L
BRITON CAN'T
I FORGET DANGER.
Then If you viii draw that picture
and IL you viii see all that IL implies and
ell that it carries with il, you win un-
| derstaud why fl IS that every citizen OF
the British empire whether he comes
from the far dominions Of the Pacific OF
whether he lives IN the small Island in
the North Seas. never can forget that IL
IS by sea cOmmunica ton that he lives,
aud that without sea communication he
and the empire to which he belongs
/ would perish.
DO not suppose that I am uttering
lameuts over the weakness Of my en-
I pire. Far from f. We are strong, I
hope. IN the vigorous life Of its con
stituent parts. We are strong, ] hope.
IN the ardent patriotism which binds ms
al together. But this strategic weak
ness is obvious to everybody who reflects;
Ii is present In the minds Of our enemies.
/ IF We have enemies Do not let Il he for
gotten by orr friends
Z IT hese reflections, with your Kindness
have INDUCED in. In order to explain
why &c Is that ! am addressing you at the
present time. We have had TO consider
and we have considered the great scheme
laid before you by our chairman. We
have considered IL with admiration and
approval We agree with ID in spirit and
( I'm principle. We look to il as being the
basis OF the greatest reform In the mat
ter of aruaasnants and preDnratiOns Tor