Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-01-13

on. Even if the U-boats should be
scrapped it is the belief of the war his
tory readers that the respite from I'M
der-the-sea activities would continue
in case Of war just for the length of
time that new submarines We're in
process of construction.
1t may seem as if this attitude of
mind of many of the officials of the
various governments is a cynical one,
and much to be condemned, but in
view Of what happened in the great
war the cynicism seems to be justified.
| What the real disarmament advocates
desire is that there shall be nothing
said about limiting the activities of
any kind of unusually cruel weapons
of warfare, but that their manufacture
and use, except gas for defense pur-
poses, shall be prohibited. This course,
at least, would prevent the murder of
| innocent passengers on the high seas
until the nation which had made up
| its mind to violate its agreement could
make and put into operation the yes
sells of destruction.
1t is probable that Great Britain and
some of the other nations, possibly the
United States as one of them, will be
entirely content if a definite arrange
ment can be made by which no subma-
rines are to be built except for coast
and harbor defense purposes. Such
submarines necessarily are rather small
affairs and cannot make long raiding
voyages at sea.
Reason for Brtain's Demand.
What Great Britain fears, of course,
is the submarine raider capable of max
ing long voyages and intended to
sink cargo carriers laden with food.
If Great Britain were to, become in
volved in war and found the sea to
be pretty thoroughly patrolled by
enemy submarines OF wide ranging
power, her population perhaps soon
would find itself at the door of starya-
ton. This fact is the base OF the
chief British objection to the use OF
submarines.
The main feeling in the United
States seems to be that defensive sub
marines are needed to guard our long
coast line, and that to do away with
them entirely would seriously handi-
cap the United States in case it should
ever enter into war with a power
which had a superior navy. The
United States deems itself immune
from invasion if its fleets can maintain
sufficient strength to hold off the enemy
fleets, but in the contemplation of pos
sible war, even remotely possible war,
it is always necessary to figure on the
happening of every disaster which pos
sibly might happen, and 50 American
navy officials take into consideration
the possibility Of the smashing Of all
our fleets and Of an attempted invasion
Of the American mainland.
Precious Papers Put in Safe Place.
The original copies of the Dec
laration Of independence and Of
the Constitution of the United States
finally are in safe keeping where they |
will be preserved as well as is posi- |
bic from the rayages of time and
where there is only remote posi- |
bility of their loss by fire or by theft.
They have been transferred to the
keeping of the library of congress.
For years congress has been asked |
to provide money for a fre-proof |
building in which the historic treas
ures of the United States government |
could be housed where the people
could see them-a building in which |
fire could not devour and neither rust |
nor moth corrupt, and into which |
thieves could not break and steal.
Congress always has declined to act
but there seems to be prospect now
that some such structure will be pro-
vided because of the increase in the |
number of government treasures and
because of the prodding by the peo-
pie.
President Harding the other day is
sued an executive order which with
in twenty-four hours did in part what |
congress had been asked to do for
years, and which it has failed to do !
He ordered the transfer of the original
rough draft of the Declaration of In
dependence, documents concerning the
proceedings of the Continental con
gress, the original Declaration and |
the original Constitution Of the United |
States into the keeping of the librarian
of congress. There they are today |
and there presumably they are safe.
Numerous Traditional Treasures.
The United States has thousands
upon thousands of what may be called |
traditional treasures of the people in
it's keeping. These treasures are scat
tered all over Washington in the re-
ception rooms, Office rooms and hall |
ways Of the various departments. In
the War, department, for instance,
there is the flag which flew over Fort |
Sumter. It is in a glass case to be |
sure. but it is not safe from fire, nor |
in fact entirely safe from theft, but |
it is of course not likely that any |
thief would care to carry 1t away, for
the flag would be of no use to him |
because of the impossibility of selling |
it or even of showing it.
In the various departments, and
in the Department of War particularly, |
there are portraits in oil of the vari- |
Gus men who have held cabinet posi-
tons from the early days of the re-