North Carolina Newspapers

DAILY NEWS Ms4?nu www ? . SATURDAY AFTERNOON NOVEMbE* 20. ms No. HS CONGRESSMAN KITCHIN EXPLAINS NATURE OF NATIONAL DEFENSE PROJECT AND ALSO HIS REASONS FOR OPPOSING PROPOSED PLAN Representative of the Second District Sends Exclusive t Statement of His Views to the Daily News. Other Papers to Publish It Tomorrow. S PUTS FORTH STRONG ARGUMENTS IN HfS ARTICLE .. .... mwwr t ? Mr. Editor: The Seven BeM IfagMln?, the or gaa of the Nary League (the organ Uatlon which ha* created, by decep tion and misrepresentation, the ap parently big sentiment (or the mtll tarlam and navallsm now proposed, and which seems to have stampeded | many patriotic, and usually level headed people) declared In Its Octo ber Issue that 1 had the right "to vote for or against" the prepared ness measure, but that I bad "neith er the right nor shoeld he (I) bo allowed even to discuss It In the House," etc. I trust, however, that the press of my State, though most of it differ widely with me, will not refuse the privilege which I ask, to express through it to the people some of the reasons for my position and. give some of the facts with resprc' I to the Question which has been with 1 bold from, or certainly not given tr the public. _ I ask this privilege with confidence that it will br granted, especially in view of th' fact that many of the State paper have severely criticised me, ?omr going to the extent of bitterly de nounctag Be. I bave no critlciair to mako of the press and the peopl in the State who differ with var Raving heard only one side, and ow lag to the tans of literature of do caption and misrrpresentatlon o the subject, being poured out dai*? to the people by the metropolitan prees aOtf^ magastnes ? many, pei% haps. Innocently ? and by tbe eo called "Patriotic Societies," of whic' the Navy League is the head, it 1' but natural that a large majority o' tbe people should oppose my posl tlon. With your permission, I sha! now proceed to give some of th facts and reasons which impel m to oppose the big military and nava program which will be proposed to Congress. 1. Am to the actual condition or our Navy. All the talk and writing! by the pre** and the so-call d "Patriotic Societies" about our "utter helpless neas," our "dangerous unprepared neia," our "defenseless condition," our "growing weakness," our "hav ing fallen to the third or fourth grade of Inferiority in naval strength," etc., Is pure tommy-rot, based not on a single fact. Let It be first understood that In the "Preparedness" program th^ Navy of Great Britain 1b eliminated. This was 10 testified by the Secre tary of the Navy, Admiral Fletcher, and othrr naval experts, and even by Hobson, In the hearings before the Naval Committee at the last ses sion of Congress, all declaring that we do not need or deslr* a Navy as strong as 'hers. Notwithstanding the metropolitan press, magaslne writ* ers and the "Patriotic Societies" and our Navy Year-Book (which was exposed In the last Congrsss, and will be so exposed in the next, as unreliable and misleading.) the fact Is, that we have, built and build ing, the strongest and most power ful navy In the world, cxcept that of Oreat Britain (which Is eliminat ed as above stated.) Our Navy Is stronger than that of Oermany, far superior to that of France, more than twice as strong as that of Japan or of any other nations. Admiral Fletcher, the highest aetlvo officer Id the Nary, Commander of the At lantic Flett, the man who will have to do the fighting If an? le to be done, (whos? Judgment on naval subjects the Secretary of the Navy, before the Naval Committee, declar ed he had soonsr take than that of any man In the world) ezpreeely de clared, at the naval hearings daring the last session of Congress, that we had a Navy, "Superior to that of Germany or any other nation, exoept Or eat Britain." 1ft answer to th* question, "If 1ft ft war with Germany, could our Navy successfully resist thftt of Oermaftjrt" he aftfWftred "Yftft." Captain WlnterfealUr, an other naval expert, testified: "Judge WlthtrspooB hM proved that our Navy Is superior to that of Germany uid I agree ylth him." Admiral Bad :er, Ex-Commander of the Atlantic Tleet (a member of the General 3oard of the Navy) declared that no ane had ever heard him say that 'Germany had a superior Nary to ours." The facts of record, the tests laid down by naval experts here and abroad, snd the naval authorities *of the world (all of which I have before mo as I write) confirm the truth of this teatlmony. The armored fleet of Germany, consisting of battleships, dread naughts and predreadnaughts, ar mored cruisers and battle-cruisers (built and bui'.dlng) in number is 62 (to say nothing of the vessels lost Mnce January 1, 1915.) The fleet >f the United States, of the same essels, is in number fifty-six, with >Ter 40,000 more tonnage. (Numbrr ? nd tonnage, however, are not the! .-riterioa of superiority.) Of twenty j 'f Germany's battleships listed by ?ur Navy Year-Book, sixteen are not ble to go more than 1,000 miles rom base to engage In naval war are. Not one of the sixteen carr oal enough to go from Hamburg o Ireinen to within flyo hundred mile >f New York and return (to ea: othfng about being employed in r ! taval engagemant.) The Oregon vhlch some of our nava'. experts sa: * obsolete, and not list' d by ou*1 *aVy Year-Book (tho Indiana and Tassachusetts not listed also) I? very characteristic of a flght'.ng ah!; | bigger guna, heavier armor, strong I r ship) is far suporlor to any ou< I f the twenty G rraan battleship' sted by our Year-Book. Four of he Oerman ships lrsted by our Year look as dreadnaughtn are In reality ot dreadnaughta, and are shown by ne of the highest naval authorities n thn world (Jane's Fighting ShlpO o be defective, unsuccessful ships, nd so known to ho by every Htudent ">f naval affairs. The last five drend ? aughts authorized by Congress are -uperlor to any flUx dreadnaughrs O rmany has, bul't or building. Our ?hlps are hotter, larger, stronger an J nore heavily armored. Our guns \re larger, stronger and more effec Mve. Of tbe big gunn of the nh!pti, tw Ive Inches and over, we have 284, ?vhlle Germany baa only 194 (bnllt nd building.) If the Navy of Great Britain Is to be eliminated In the "Preparedness" program, which our naval experts say It should be, and If we have a navy now superior to that of Ger many er any other nation In the world, except Great Britain, for whom or against whom do we pro pose to prepare by the fabulonn In crease of our naval appropriations which the proposed program re quires? WE ARE PREPARED. Instead of "our Navy growing woaker," an the metropolitan preen, the "Patriotic Societies" and the Jin goes and war traffickers woulrl have the people believe, It Is growing big ger, stronger, more efficient and better equipped evory year. In th two years of Wilson's Admlnlstra tlon the naval building program au thorised la twice as large and costly as the last two years of Taft's ad ministration and larger and more costly by $8,000,000 than the entire four years of Roosevelt's last term and practically as large and costly a? the entire four years of Taft'i Administration. Thore Is today over] &0 per cent more construction golnf] on for our Navf than on the 1st day of March, 1913, or at any oth^r tlm* In the history of our country. We have nearly 100 per cent more tor pedoea, mines, mine layers, powder and other munitions than we had on the l?t day of March, 1913, and steadily Increasing them. We have under Mr. Wilson's and Mr. Dnnlels' Administration, for the first time in years, the full complement of en listed men authorised by law. WE IRK PREPARING. U fltw ot the foregoing facts. was not President Wllaon right when he aald in bis message to Congress! December, 1914, in opposing the pro gram of the llobsons and Gardners: "Let there be no misconception. The country has b^en misinformed. We have not been negligent of national defence." |2. As to the enormity of the pro [ pohcd program ? what it U: The heretofore largo and growing expenditure? for our Navy had Aroused the people of the country in to asking, "where shall |t end?"} Secretary Daniels, In hiB report to the lost session of Congress, Decem ber, 1914, said (and he was but sub stantially repeating what had been sr.ld in the British Parliament, the German IMchstag, the Trench As-' s.-mbly, and by prominent statesmen the wor'.d over relative to the arma ment expenditures of their respec tive 'countries for the last several -years:) "The naval appropriations 1n our own country have doubled In a dozen yrars and have"gone up by leaps and bounds in other countries, 'f thin mad rivalry in construction oes on the burden will become too ?eavy for any nation to bear." In is report of December, 1913, h ys: "The growing cost of dread apgbta, of powder and of every hlng that makes an efficient Navy ves reason to pause. Tho heavy vpense commands national and ln -rDaiional consideration. Ten years !,'o our largest battleships cost $5, 82,000. The next dreadnaught wil ost $1 4,044,000." (The dread aughts hereafter to be authorized ill cost from $18,000,000 to $20, 00.000, and In an interview the ,'ecretary says all ship materials and nunltlons of war havo gone up ov r 0 per cent.) He asks, "When Is Ms accelerating expenditure to be ?educed? * ? ? If It 1? not hasten' d ?y appea's for the peaceful settle ment of national differences, the day !s not far distant when tho growing burdens of taxation for excessive war arid naval expenditures will cal. a halt." Now, in the face of the deplorable truth recited by the Secretary; In tho faco of tho fact that we have a Navy superior to that of Germany or any other nation, except that ?f Great Britain; in the face of th fact that our Navy In growing larg er, stronger and better equipped than ever before; in the face of tho fact, as the President declared both in his message to Congress December 'est and In bis recent Manhattan Club speech, "We are threatened from no quarter," the proposed Preparedness" program at one] <ound ? one year ? increases our al-| cady Immensely large naval appro i iriatlons more than our total in r eases for the last fourteen years; more than the increase by Germany he whole fifteen years preceding the European war, and more than the combined increase of all the nationF !n the world In any one year In their history (In times of peace!) The five-year program Incroanes our naval appropriation over forty tlm*? moro than the Increase by Germany In five year> preceding the European war; and $200,000,000 nore than the combined Increaue of ill the nations In the world for the five y am preceding the European ?ar; and over $60,0(70,000 more I than the combined Increase of all the nations In the world for the whole period of ten years Immediate y pri ding the European war!! Add fo this the fact that prior to he beginning of the European war ?e were expending annually on our Navy from $20,000,000 to $30,000, 000 more than Germany or any oth er nstlon (except Great Britain) was xpendtnic on Its Navy. For the ten years preceding the European war we had expended on r>ur Navy over $800,000,000 more than Germany 6r any other nation (except Orrat Britain) had expend ed on Its Navy!' And yet tha metro politan press, the macastne writers, (Continued on ?) CROWN PRINCE'S "NEW BABY The llret . botccrmjLh ?howlni tin cr3wn prlQctM of Qermauj an3 her infant. bo? April i. ?J?. The yorar ator la the onljr daughter of th? Gar mnn belr >111) bis wife, and la tnaw* OS tbe German "war baby," although aba baa been christened "Aleiafe. drlne." it la believed abe Was born and christened while ber father the Ciowu Prince Frederick, was at the I CRESCITE CLUB I 'Art* Htudylng M?tic*n Condition*. Interesting P?pers Read at ! Mooting Thia W*ek. I Ad enjoyable meeting vai held by i ho Cresclte Club Thursday after-] r.c^n with Miss Mao Ayers as hot-! I'csa. The session was devoted to! I *he study of Mexico during ancient 1 nd modern times. ? Miss Mary Carter read a highly 'nteresting paper orJ "Ancient andj 1 Mcdern Mexico." which was follow- 1 d by another pap'r on "The Mexl ?an Situation at Pretjnt," by Mrs. "iam Etherldge. Mrs. Lee Davenport | Tiosrt ably read an article on- "Mel-1 can Social Life." Refreshments In two courses fol j ow'd the business session of the | meeting. WAYOME CLUB HOLD MEETING NIrt ln n*K*i*r Session L?st Sight. InUrwi in dab U Increasing. The regular business meeting of the Wajrome Club was he'.d in thelrj -lub rooms last night. It was well att nded by members, and several business subjects were brought up. The club la fast coming to the front, is several new members have been enrolled, and interest is greatly In vesting smong the young men. The "?e*t regular business meeting Is set "or November 20th. All members, ad directors are requested to be present. 'HALL OF FAME" FOR 6B PI PIL8) Studeati of the #B grade in the '?Jit y aehoola. who madn an average over 90 per cent In all their itud p?, are having their pictures taken, vRleh are put In a "Hall of Fame." The move has greatly Increased the nter *t In iichool work add nix pu jIIb this month made over 90 per :ents. They were John Wlee, Mar tette Meoklnt, John Handy, Oeorge J f.awBon, Mary D. Little and Esther jChrrry. HlftlR KINO CRAB. la on Exliibltlno *t E. K. Will In' Mi In Htreot Htor*. A gigantic king crab, measuring over two foot In length and eighteen I inches wide, Hi being shown at E ' K. Willis' Main atrert store. It la,1 n appearance, a combination of tho : turtle and the crab, has no ejes and has attracted considerable attention from paHsers-by. It Weighs sever a pounds. AERYICE8 TOMORROW AT TIIK COUNTY HOMR The Hernca C!aee of the Methodliit church. lead by Mr. Keer, will con duct lervlcee at the count? home to morrow afternoon at three o'clock. The public It cordially invited to ptttonl MKRTI.VG OF DISTRICT No. 10 OF WOMEN'S CLUBS WELL ATTENDED. GOOD SPEECHES Large NumW ??e?lott m the N?w Theatre Yraurda/ Af. ??woe. Reception LmI Ni?ht *t sik'e h*il Over 100 person? Attended the Reciprocity meeting of District No. 10, N. C. Federation of Women's Clubs, which was held yesterday af ternoon at the New Theatre. Tho program was a most IctercfHjg one, the speeches were eitremtlr W<"|| delivered and thoroughly ap preciated by the audience. The meeting was called to order by M1?b Llda T. Rodman, who acted a# chairman. The Invocation was pronounced by Rev. H. B. Searlght. pastor of the Presbyterian church and was followed by the singing o "Carolina" by the entire twtembly Mrs. S. R. Fowl? made an appro prlate addrees of welcome to th? visiting delegates on behalf of tb women's clubs of the city, she nl4i touched lightly on tbo work that ?? being done by the State federatloi and the work that the local clubj are doing. The address of welcome from thf cltlrentr of Washington was deliver cd by Judge Stephen Bragaw. After assuring the visiting delegates of c liearty welcome to the city, tb . judge made a most eloquent talk on I the equality of man and woman. "After God made the earth, after I He divided day from night, aft r H ?Vied the seas with fish and after 1 He created the beasts and the fow land Hie things that cri?wi upon thf j | earttr, He made man and woman., And He said unto them ? not unto him, 'replenish the world and sub due it.' He divided the responsibil ity equally between them. If it l6i true that man was made the suprem" king of the world, then why should woman not also be the supreme queen? "But In somo mysterious way. woman was dethroned. If I go back too far Into history, madam chair man, it iff only to emphasize the fact that the theory that women 1b not man's equal is absolutely without foundation. The world Is beginning to realize thla and I believe that woman la rpgaisJng her rights. "Many years ago ? and not so many at that, either ? my partner of Joys and sorrows, in preparing a pa per of some kind, wou'd usually ask her school-teacher-lawyer husband for assistance, but now. slnc? -he has become a member of the Ad dlsco club, it Is hrr husband who has to go to her to ascertain facts regarding things ecclesiastical, theological, astronomical, and my thological." The Judge concluded his highly interesting talk by wishing the fed eration every success In itf work. Miss Sadie B. Waltt. of Green ville, responded most fittingly to the addressee of welcome and as sured the local clubs that the vis itors enjoyed the pleasure of being In Waehlngton. Her response was followed by an extremely well ren dered Solo by Mrs. Harry McMullan, accompanied on tho plauo by Mrs. W. P. Baugham. Llngle, State presid nt of the Federation, made a moat Inter esting address on the work that the Federation waa doing throughout the State. She took up lb* differ ent departments of the labor* of the organization and mentioned wbtt progress had been made In each. She alao congratulated the clot.* of Washington for the work they wore IJolrg and urged Ita continuance. "We are not In thla work because we are leas mothers and wlvea," ahe roftclud d, "but because wo desire o deasemlnate nonie of the home In. iuence Into the outilde wor'.d." | Mra. Cotten, of Oreenvllle, paat president of the Stato federation, and beloved by every member of he federated clubs, made an anu,v ng and entertaining talk In the <;i.alnt manner of which ahe alone Ih t a I- able. Mra. D. M. Carter favored the | f f nbly with a solo, which ahe a*n? ctjulalte'jr to Mra. Baufham'a ac .< ' npanlment. I After Ihf report e t the |UU fl MASCOT GETS HIS HELD MEETING Community Service Day Obacrred Ytwterda) ?t Plney Grove and Ma^fno!!#, Community service day was ob served ?t PJney Grove and Magnolia veiterday with appropriate pro rams. I 0,n?? ot of til* battleehlp ar**on. *^c?tly fot lost while oa ?hore leave. Later ha showed uj> aJonf the water front and wu gtv?* Are daye tn the brt? for falllnf to ?P ** '?ar bells in the erenln#. L\ L Stewart, of ibis city. made, in addresa in the morning at Plney! ?rov* on education and community ervlce. H- laid particular streps I ?n the moonlight achool work, the alue of rural education and rid ing North Carolina ar.d Beaufor. ounty iiH early as poa^ble of illit racy and Ignorance. Dinner wa ?rved on the grourds. following ape-cb. Tlie school house was appropria tely JecoraUd and a large numb?r )f persons were th-re. including a largo number of patrons of the dis trict. The new school house is a credit to the county and to the pro gressive men and women, head d by L. M. Shepherd, who secured its e rectlon through personal sacrlUccs of time and money. ARRANGE FOR PULLMAN. Washington Visitor* to Norfolk May Have Special Car for Thanks giving Trip. j Arrangement? are belr.T made by' a number of local men to have the Norfolk Southern fur.ilsh a pulimnn (car to take vis: ors from t L ' s city to | Norfolk on Tha. <6fel\!ng day. It .s planned to leav hero Wednesday. 'c!ght and rr' urn Thursday night. Ifl & pullman Is secured it will enable the Washington peop'e to l^ave Nor folk at 11:30 Instead of 8:30 Thurs day night. All those who desire to ' make tho trip are requested to cotn I munlcate at one? with Mr. Myers. I the local agent for the Norfolk Southern. ( In the afternoon Mr. Stewart alto poke lit Magnolia on ?!ie value of I ducatJon and i?B rotations to th.-i fe of a commuc?ty. A splendid pro j ;ram of songs and recitations by th-s uplla of the Magnolia achoo'. wa? ilao rand red. The exorcists were aoder the iiupervtalon of Mr. Prlv tte. principal of the ?hool, and his! two assistants. nance committee, which was r ad by Mrs. N. L. Simmons, and upon which Mrs. I. Ingle commented, the report* of the different clubs throughout I this district were read. The meeting was brought to a rloe* by the slog Tug of "America." Resorption I^nt Night, At the Rika ha'.l last night from '8:30 to 10:30, the local c'ubs ten dered a reception to the visiting la dies. at which a large number were pre* nt. The hall was beautifully decorated wtlh ferns, vines and cut Jlowora and presented a most attrac ive appearance. Music wan furnish ed hy an orchestra. Punch was serv d throughout the evening and also* refreshments consisting of Ice cream md cake The occasion proved a oost enjoyable one and afforded the ocal residents an opportunity for > coming better acquainted with the tailors. WILL TAKE AN AUTO TRIP THROUGH NEIGHBORING COUNTIES NOV. 28th. MEETING IUES. Good Road* Association will PIacuom I'Iaoa for Going Before Bo?rt] of County Commiaalonom at Next Meeting. At a meeting of the executive committee of the Washinpton town ship Good Roads Association, which was he'd at the office of W. II. Elli son last night and at which W. H. Staacill. \v H Stancill, Jr., 0. B. Wynne. 1! F Row rs. W H. Elli son ami K I. Stewart wore present, plana wvre n-.arte for an au*o ex cursion tor Sunday. November 28:h, the weather belrjr favorable. I Thvarfou* autu own?r? of the cfTy w!i: 'he askf-d to furnish their cHTb an' la case they cannot go theni^elxeis. proxide drivers for *heSr ma. -bines. The owner of each car will a 5i> h* a?kcd ro provid lunch for t'io occupants of h:s car. I It ir planned to leave Wa?hing an abuui n tie o'clock tn *h* morn rp and go out or. the Washington .:.d WILllauiJtcn ror.d a" far as tho M Jam?-p>13! n?nd and thou turn itro the \Va*hing*on and Greeav^l? aad. ly old Ford. Tran or's Creek and La' ham's crasa . a.l.i. Not!r?.'H w:'.' bo sent out *.o he various vote-is of :he township, .! vis!: f> them of the proposed roulo o hp followed ar.d ihe approximate .tr.f> at which ihp various points will be reached. to the end that they may present th mselves a', iheae placcs to cb taken or. board the cara ^r.d carried over some of the good roads of Pi:t. Nash, Edgecombe and o;hor counties. I*, in expected that this mov merit tfli] go a long way towards enabling a '.argo number of out of town vot r.". who. have never had the oppor tunity of feeing pood roads lo be come acquainted with the valu* and advantages to be derived from im proved highways, and It la earnest ly hoped and desired thai the citi zens of Washington, who owr :.uto mobi.es. will cooperat most heart ily towards the sucress of thlb move tntr.:. Meet inn Turtday Night. j TL ? Washington Goorl Roads Aj U.ciat. n will hold an important ! r.; eiin*: in the rooms of the Cham ber of Comm rce Tuesday night, be ginning promptly at eight o'clock Matters of vital Importance will he taken op. An effort will be mad? to outline some plan tn bp sun*ested to the county commissioners at their n xt meeting, which will meet with the approval of th" voters of Wash ington township as to how thn work shall be d'?np and 'he money expend rd in the eipn! that the bond Issue carries. $1 50 A MOMTH K??-ps Your ' lr>'hi*? in "Tip Top" Condition. A vilt itomi' I ovffv tt i-rk ???! ihi* *m?ll .1111 uint, ?ii<1 < orrcrilv |?rta\t od too. C.nn v <i si I !? >rr| to he un Rrcmmfd w'l u 5'i li ? ? l?* w.ll kiM-p you lixikoir, *,-ic :in>l sp.n. wRir.Hrs s<> PKESSIMJ WORKS Om TODAY S COTTON QUOTATION? J.lul lie. BM4 cotton Cotton mo4 ? III.**, TO-NIGHT "Bahy llazelle" ? In ? 'tnjctng Daii^ng Comprly ? Alio ? fi -RREI.8 PICTURES--? All Nnt W???k "Tlio Hntinmrliir (JlrV 12? P opl? ?18 Pricol 0#20