The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-02-23
Treaties, Not Cruisers, Is What Some
Folks In the Land of the Free and
Home of the Brave Want, and Their
Argument Has Merit In 1t.

Folks In the Land of the Free and
Home of the Brave Want, and Their
Argument Has Merit In 1t.
To the Editor of The Republican.
Treaties-not Cruisers-is the slo-
gan carried by some communications
being sent through the mails and
these communications have to be
many and swift just now.
The big naval bill before the House
Committee on Naval Affairs has as
founded the country and the world at
large. The still larger proportions
which are limited at from day to day
stun one who reads and thinks of the
affairs of the nation. The figures
given out Feb. 10th are $4,200,000,-
0GO to be required for the Navy in
the next nine years if Congress au-
thorizes and carries out the Wilbur
construction program and makes
available money for the building of
vessels already authorized"
One thing which has been brought
home by the consideration of such as
founding sums is that the public real
ICES more fully the uneven distribu-
ton of the national tax dollars which
now devotes from 50 to SO cents to
war and its obligations. There is OF
course only the seventeen or eighteen
cents left for all food relief, harbor
and river improvements, research in
agriculture and health conditions, for
civil government. Were the nation
relieved from that tremendous bur-
den of war requirements, from this
unequal division, schools, hospitals,
roads, flood control, agricultural mat
tiers, those things vital to the i'm
provement of living conditions, would
all be forwarded.
1t is evident that these stupendous
sums being asked for will lay still
greater burden of taxation upon the
country if they are granted. Heav-
Ter taxes for the United States, heav-
Ter taxes for the world. For will Eng
land, France, Italy, Japan not feel the
necessity of adding to their navies
also?
Again the question of the utter fu-
tility of using the peoples money for
ships which are out of date before
they can be finished should be consid-
cred. Everybody knows that inven-
tions of aircraft are rendering battle
ships obsolete; also that constant dis
coveries, never so rapid and overwhel-
ming as now, throw each day into the
discard what a few days before was
considered powerful as an agent of
destruction.
Though why destroy? And why,
the country asks itself, should hard
earned dollars be thrown away?
America is so credited with being
rich country that few stop to think of
the enormous number of it's citizens
who are always, and of necessity, a
few steps bheind their grocery bill.
Could the conditions but be eased for
the largest part of its citizens would
not money be we'll spent, or rather,
we'll saved?
So hail to the slogan: Treaties
not Cruisers!"
In line with that cry we have the
new treaty between France and the
United States and the recognition OF
the fact that there has been for one
hundred and fifty years an unbroken
friendship between the two nations.
The terms of the new treaty are not
yet all known, but it is known that
they are broader and firmer than
those made before and that the pre-
amble of the treaty deprecates war as
a means of settling international dis
putes between countries.
In a short while the treaties be-
tween this country and England, this
country and Japan, Italy and num-
Der of lesser nations will have to be
restated or renewed. Can not the
United States now, at critical time
which will certainly forecast the flu
ture of decades, declare that the de-
sirable thing is Treaties-not Cruis-
ers; that friendship is the strong fac
tor in relations between nations of the
world?
Years ago the United States led
the declaration of freedom and lib
in it's establishment of democ-
Can it now lead in the way Of
blishment of friendship as a
relationships in the way Of
,e world? F. ]. G.
ID, February IS.