- - " ""- . '7" ".. - - - " -"' " - -' t--. - v .... , , . . j - - . .
Tfef
LA1H-3T CIBCULATIOH
of any
ax. County Kesrspopsar
Established 1832.
"nxcELsian," m pun motto
sirBsosiPTion piugi; slcq pna trail.
VOL XXXI
SCOTLAND NECK, N. G. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25. 1915.
NUMBER 45.
Claude Kitchin's Statement on the
Nation's Preparedness He Gives
M D E N C E
Good! Reasoms 1
jj i '" C'H ADVEKISinO MEDIUn
" """--,,,"-'-------- - - - - ,-J , - " '
The results of true success in life and in business
are expressed in the word Confidence, without it our
personal life becomes a dreary waste, or family life
a bedlam, and our civic and national life a disman
tled ship az the mercy of the winds and tides.
The confidence of our fellow men, and particular
ly those with whom we do business, should mean
more to us than any other thing in the world.
What a goal to strive for and what a prize when
once attained!
There is but one way to reach it, and that is by
not deviating one hair'b breadth from the line of
absolute honesty. Wt can reach it only through our
i;vn efforts.
To never offer goods that are not the best to
never nii-epient their quality to never over
charge one -penny to never break a promise to b
courteous arid considerate to be just, as we expect
to receive justice to have our store truthfully rep
resent our personality in its cleanliness and man
jig; mil 'in ; these are the keys that admit us into the
circle of perfect confidence, for which many men
strive but all do not. reach.
Confidence is the very breath of our social and
business lift?.
Courtesy Beech-Nut Packing Company
CLEE VAUGHAN
Phons 174
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For rates, Schedule, Haps or any informa
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V
1 Edwards & Co., Scotland Neck, N. C
" -
Mr. Editor:
The SEVEN SEAS
the organ of the Navy League (the
organization which has created, by
deception and misrepresentation, the
apparently big sentiment for the
militarism and navaiism now pro-;
posed, and which seems to have
stampeded many patriotic, and us-;
ually levelheaded people) declared
in its October issue that I had the
right "to vote for or against" the
preparedness measure, but that I
had "neither the right nor should
he (I) be allowed even to discuss it
in i he House," etc. I trust, how
ever, that the press of my State,
though most of it differ widely with
me, will not refuse the privneere
which I ask. to express throueh it
to the people some of the reasons
for my position and give SOME OF
THE FACTS with respect to the
question which has been withheld
from, or certainly not given to the
public. I ask this privilege, with
confidence that it will be granted.
especially in view of the fact that
many of the State papers have se
verely criticized me, some going to
the extent of bitterly denouncing
me. 1 have no criticism to make or
the press and the people in the State
who differ with me. Having heard
only one side, and owing to the tons
of literature of deception and mis
representation on the subject, being
poured out daily to the people by
the metropolitan press and mag
azines many, penap:, innocently
and by the so-ca-led "Patriotic So-
leties, of which the Navy League
is the head, it is but natural that a
arge majority of the people should
oppose my position. Witn your pre-
mission, I shall now proceed to give
some of the facts and reasons which
mpel me to oppose the big military
and n?val program which will be
proposed to Congress.
1. As to tlie actual condi
tion o our Navy.
All the talk and writings by the
press ana the lo-cailea ratnotic
Societies aoout our utter help
lessness," our "dangerous unpre
uaredriess," our "defenseless con-
icon." our "growing weakness,"
our having tailen 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 the
Navy of Great Britain is eliminated.
This was so testified by the Secre
tary of the Navy, Admiral Fletcher,
and other naval experts, and even
byHobson, in the hearings before
the Naval Committee at the last
Session or Congress, all declaring
that we do not need or desire a Navy
as strong as hers. No! ithstannmg
5 he metropolitan press, magazine
writers and the "Patriotic Societies"
ind our Navy Year-book (which was
exposeo in tne last congress, ana
will be ?o exposed in the next, as
unreliable ar.d misleading.) THE
FACT IS, that we have, built and
building, THE STRONGEST AND
MOST rOWERFUL NAVY IN THE
WORLD, except that of Great
Britain (which is eliminated as a
bove stated.) OUR NAVY IS
STRONGER THAN THAT OF GER
MANY, FAR SUPERIOR TO THAT
OF FRANCE, MORE THAN TWICE
AS STRONG AS THAT OF JAPAN
OR OF ANY OF THE OTHER N A
ilONS Admiral Fletcher, the high
est active officer in the Navy, Com
mander of the Atlantic Fleet, the
man who ili have to do the fighting
if any is to be done, (;hose judg
ment on naval subjects the Secretary
of tne Navy, before the Naval Com
mittee, declared he had sooner take
than that ef any man in the world)
txprtssly declared, at the naval
hearings during the last session of
Congress, that we bad a Navy, "SU
PERIOR TO THAT OF GERMANY
OR ANY OTHER NATION, EX
CEPT GREAT BRITAIN." In an
swer to the question, "If in a war
with Germanv, could OUR NAVY
SUCCESSFULLY RESIST THAT
OF GERMANY?" he answered
"YES " Captain Winterhalter, an
other naval expert, testified:
"JUDGE W1THERSP00N HAS
PROVED THAT OUR NAVY IS
SUPERIOR TO THAT OF GER
MANY AND I AGREE WITH HIM."
Admiral Badger, Ex-Commander of
the Atlantic Fleet (a member of the
General Board of the Navy) declared
that no one had ever heard him say
that "Germany had a superior Navy
to ours."
The facts of record, the tests laid
down by naval experts here and
abroad, and the naval authorities of
the world (all of which I have before
me as I write) confirm the truth of
this testimony.
The armored fleet of Germany,
consisting of battleships, dread
nauahts and predreadnauglits. ar
mored cruisers and battle-emu ers
(built and building) in number is 52
(to say nothing of the vessels lost
since January 1, 1915 ) The fleet
of the United States, of the same
vessels, is in number fifty-six, with
. vpr 40.000 more tonr ace. (Number
unci tnnnaue. however, are not the
nritprion of suneriorjtv). Of twenty
of Germany's battleships - listed by
our Navy Year-Book, sixteen are not
ahip tn en more than 1.000 miles
fmm hasfi to ensase in naval war
i fare Not one of the sixteen carry
! coal enough to go from Hamburg or
i r , tnv ikin tiiTo himrirfri roi!P
131 C7 II I CI 1 VV 1 Llllll XI V w . v. . -
,.f "Mow York and return (to say
nnthincr about being employed in
naval engagement.) Tne Oregon,
which some of our. naval experts say
i 1
; is obsolete, and not lifted by our
MAGAZINE. ' Navy Year-Book (the Indiana and
Massachusetts not listed also) in
every characteristic olN a fighting
ship (bigger guns, heavier armor,
stronger ship) is far superior to
ANY ONE OF THE! TWENTY
GERMAN BATTLESHIPS LISTED
BY OUR YEAR-BOO 10. Four of
the German ships listed by our Year
Book as dreadnaughts are in reality
not dreadnaughts, and "are shown
by one of the highest nava! author
ities in the world (Jane's Fizhting
Ships) to be DEFECTIVE, UNSUC
CESSFUL SHIPS, and so known to
be by every student oft;naval af
fairs. The last five drgadnaughts
authorized by Congress are superior
to any six dreadnaughts Germany
has, built or building. iOur ships
are better, larger, stronger and
more heavily armored. Our guns
are larger, stronger and more ef
fective. Of the big guns of the ships,
t welve inches and over, we have 284,
while Germany has only 194 (built
and building.)
It the Navy of Great Britain is to
be eliminated in the "Preparedness"
program, which our naval experts
ay it should be, and if we have a
navy now SUPERIOR TO THAT
OF GERMANY OR ANY OTHER
NATION IN THE WORLD, except
Great Britsin, FOR WHOM OR
AGAINST WHOM DO
WE PRO
POSE TO PREPARE by the fabu
lous increase of our naval appropri
ations which the proposed 'program
requires? -
WE ARE PREPARED. ,
Instead of "our Navy growing
weaker," as the metropolitan press,
the "Patriotic Societies" and the
jingoes and war traffickers would
have the people believe, it is GROW
ING BIGGER. STRONGER, MORE
EFFICIENT AND BETTER EQUIP
PED EVERY YEAR. In the two
years of Wilson's Administration the
naval building program authorized
isTWlCE AS LARGE AND COSTLY
as the L-ST TWO YEARS OF
TAFT'S ADMINISTRATION AND
LARGER AND MORE COSTLY
BY 558.000,000 THAN THE ENTIRE
FOUR YEARS OF ROOSEVELT'S
LAST TERM AND PRACTICALLY
AS LARGE AND COSTLY AS THE
ENTIRE FOUR YEARS OF TAFT'S
AD VI INISTRATION. There is today
OVER 50 PER CENT MORE CON
STRUCTION GOING ON FOR
OUR NAVY THAN ON TH2T 1ST.
DAY OF MARCH, 1913, or at any
other time in the history of our
country. We have nearly 100 per
cent more torpedoes, mines, mine
layers, powder and other munitions
than we had on the 1st. day of March,
1913, and steadily increasing them.
We have under Mr. Wilson's and
Mr. Daniels' Administration, FOR
THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS, THE
FULL COMPLEMENT OF ENLIST
ED MEN AUTHORIZED BY LAW
WE ARE PREPARING.
In view of the foregoing facts
was not President Wilson right when ;
he said in his message to Congress
December, 1914, m opposing the pro
gram of the Hobsons and Gardners:
"LET THERE BE NO MISCON
CEPTION. THE COUNTRY HAS
President declared both in his mes
sage to Congress December last and
in his recent Manhattan Club speech,
"WE ARE THREATENED FROM
NO QUARTER," the proposed "Pre
paredness" program at one bound
one year INCREASES our already
immensely large naval appropria
tions MORE THAN OUR TOTAL
INCREASE FOR THE LAST FOUR
TEEN YEARS; more than the IN
CREASE BY GERMANY THE
WHOLE FIFTEEN YEARS PRE
CEDING THE EUROPEAN WAR,
AND MORE THAN THE COMBIN
ED INCREASE OF ALL THE NA
TIONS IN THE WORLD IN ANY
ONE YEAR IN THEIR HISTORY
(in times of peace!)
The five - year program " IN
CREASES OUR NAVAL APPRO
PRIATION OVER FORTY TIMES
MORE THAN THE INCREASE BY
GERMANY IN FIVE YEARS PRE
CEDING THE EUROPEAN WAR;
and $200,000,000 MORE THAN THE
COMBINED INCREASE OF ALL
THE NATIONS IN THE WORLD
FOR THE FIVE YEARS PRECED
ING THE EUROPEAN WAR; ar.d
OVER $50,000,000 MORE THAN
THE COMBINED INCREASE OF
ALL THE NATIONS IN THE
WORLD FOR THE WHOLE PER
IOD OF TEN YEARS IMMEDIATE
LY PRECEDING THE EUROPEAN
WAR!!
Add to this the fact that prior to
the beginning of the European War
we were expending annually on our
Navy from $20,000,000 to 30,000,000
MORE THAN GERMANY OR ANY
OTHER NATION (except Great
Britain) was expending on its Navy.
FOR THE TEN YEARS PRE
CEDING THE EUROPEAN WAR
WE HAD EXPENDED ON OUR
NAVY OVER $300,000,000 MORE
THAN GERMANY OR ANY
OTHER NATION (EXCEPT GREAT
BRITIAN) HAD EXPENDED ON
ITS NAVY ! And yet the metro
politan press, the magazine writers,
the "Patriotic Societies" and thejin
goes and war traffickers would
frighten the country into the
belief that we have a little, puny,
eg-shell of a Navy!
The five-year naval program calls
for AN INCREASE of $500,000,000
iuo.uuu,uuu lNUittLiAbUi a year
which, including the inevitable inci
dental expenses for expanding the
whole naval establishment in order
to accomodate the program, will
reach $600,000,000 or over "by"1 Kg
time the hve years expires!! This is
all EXTRA PN ADDITION TO the
large appropriations we have been
annually making.
The Army four-year program de
mands $450,000,000 INCREASE,
over $100,000,000 a year EXTRA,
being an INCREASE of MORE
THAN 100 per cent OVER OUR an
nual Army appropriations! ALL
EXTRA APPROPRIATIONS, be it
remembered. EXTRA TAXES
MUST BE PAID BY THE PEOPLE,
BE IT REMEMBERED!
Before leaving the subject of the
1 ill
t Why you should, buy your rurniture,Kugs
an(
Stoves from the Scotland
ture Company:
Neck
Furni-
PIRBT Because you get the best money's worth.
the largest assortment
SECOND Because you get
to select from.
THIRD Besause
terms.
you
get
the right convenient
FOURTH Because vou
treatment.
get the fairest and squarest
FIFTH Because it is so easy to get the uew home
can hardly
v nrnis nno-
- - -------- -jv
say "I
can't
you need, that you
afford it."
COME IN AND INSPECT OUR
LINE AND PRICES
Scotland Neck Furniture Co.
Cash or Credit
Scotland Neck,
N. C.
i
enormity of the proposed program,
, I desire to make a further observa
tion:
At the expiration of
the five-year
BEEN MISINFORMED. WE HAVE Period for the program this country
NOT BEEN NEGLIGENT OF NA
TIONAL DEFENCE."
2. As to the enormity of
the proposed program
what it is:
The heretofore large and growing
expenditures for our Navy had
aroused the people of the country in
to asking," where shall it end?" Sec
retary Daniels, in his report to the
a s t. session of Congress, De
cember, 11J14. said (and he was but
substantially repeating what had
been said in the British Parliament,
the German Reichstag, the French
Assembly, and by prominent states
men the world over relative to the
armament expenditures of their re
spective countries for the last sev
eral years:) "The naval appropri
ations in our own country HAVE
DOUBLED IN A DOZEN YEARS
and have gone up by leaps and
bounds in other countries. IF THIS
MAD RIVALRY IN CONSTRUC
TION GOES ON THE BURDEN
WILL BECOME TOO HEAVY FOR
ANY NATION TO BEAR." In his
report of December, 1913, he says
"The growing cost of dreadnaughts,
of powder anri of everything that
makes an efficient Navy gives
reason to pause. THE HEAVY EX
PENSE commands national and in
ternational consideration. Ten years
ago our largest Datuesnips cose $o,
282,000. The next dreadnaught
will cost $14,044,000." (The dread
naughts hereafter to be authorized
will cost from $18,000,000 to $20,-
000,000, and in an interview the
Secretary says all ship materials and
fit i i mrnnvinTMn at rn.
i win tnen ue EiArmNmiNb uin uo
I NAVY AND ARMY MORE THAN
ANY NATION IN THE WORLD in
TIMES OF PEACE EVER EXPEND
ED ON ITS ARMY AND NAVY;
more than England, with her naval
ism, more than Russia or Germany,
with their huge militarism. At the
beginning of the European" War
Germany was expending for past
wars and preparations for wars (on
its Army and Navy) 55 per cent, of
the total amount of revenues col
lected, Japan 45 per cent; Great
Britain 37 per cent; France 35 per
cent; THE UNITED STATES OVER
60 PER CENT. With the proposed
MILITARY AND NAVAL PRO
GRAM ENACTED into law the
UNITED STATES WILL BE EX
PENDING OVER 70 per cent OF
ITS TOTAL REVENUES that is,
OUT OF EVERY $100.00 COLLECT
ED FROM THE PEOPLE OVER
$70.00 WILL GO INTO MILITAR
ISM AND NAVALISM, including
pensions leaving LESS THAN $30.00
FOR ALL OTHER FUNCTIONS of
OUR GOVERNMENT and FOR
ALL OTHER BENEFITS OF THE
PEOPLE.
3. As to the condition of
our Treasury and its reve
nues and extra taxation re
quired. The condition of our Treasury and
our revenue and the necessities of
the Government are less able now
to permit increased appropriations
than ever before. The Treasury has
felt most heavily the burden of the
present war. Our general surplus
crease.) This $117,000,000 deficit is
upon the further assumption that
Congress will repeal the suar free
list provision of the Underwood Act,
which goes into effect May 1st., 1916
(which itself will impose $100,000,
000 burden upon the people.) For
tnis program oi militarism ana na
vaiism euphoniously called by its
advocates "national defense" or
"preparedness" program $200,000,
000 annual increase of taxation IS
REQUIRED. This, -added to the
Jdelicit above mentioned, makes $317,-
(even with "ti?. f ?0?"'ugur clause
repealed,) whiCp..must be raised, on
the assumption, too, there will not
be a dollar increase in any other ap
propriation over that of last year.
This is THREE TIMES LARGER
ANNUAL INCREASE THAN WAS
EVER REQUIRED OR RAISED
(and practically all of it must be
raised by direct or excise taxes) than
AT ANY TIME IN THE HISTORY
OF OUR GOVERNMENT, except
during the Civil War. No man in
the Administration or in the Ways
and Means Committee, although for
months they have wearied their wits
over it, has yet been able to solve
even the beginning of the problem
of raising this enormous increase of
revenue. I have had hundreds of
suggestions as to how to raise it. All
the suggestions combined would not
begin to raise the amount. Every
suggestion has been, however,
to raise the tax on the other
fellow and on the other fellow's
business or product and not on his.
When the Ways and Means Com
mittee begins to attempt to frame
measures for raising the revenue,
and especially when the people be
gin to pay the taxes for this enor
mous increase, they will then, per
haps, realize what the program
means. I have had experience
enough with taxation to know that
those who are howling most loudly
now for the big Army and Navy
program will protest and howl most
wildly against any measure which
may be attempted or proposed for
Jncrease of taxes.
(Continued on page 4.)
Special Announcements.
FOR SALE OR RENT THE
store building now occupied by Jere
Bunch Grocery Co. Possession given
September 1, 1915. Hugh Johnson.
munitions of war have gone up over ! fund of over $150,000,000 is monthly
30 per cent.) He asks When is
this ACCELERATING EXPENDI
TURE TO BE REDUCED?
Ir it is not hastened by appeals f or
it 13
the peaceful settlement of nationnl
differences, 'the day is not far dis
tant when the GROWING BUR
DENS OF TAXATION FOR EX
CESSIVE WAR AND NAVAL EX
PENDITURES WILL CALL A
HALT."
low, in the face of the deplorable
truth recited by the Secretary; in the
face of the fact that we have a Navy
superior to that of Germany or any j
other nation, except that of Great ,
Britain; in the face of the fact that
our Navy is growing larger, strong
disappearing; our deficits are annual
and monthly; our revenues have di
minished; we have strained the nerves
of the Government to get sufficient
revenue to meet its ordinary ex
penses; we have been forced to levy
an emergency tax; our deficits still
exist; our revenues still insufficient.
After the expiration of the present
emergency tax December 31, 1915,
we will be faced with deficits for the
coming year of at least $117,000,000.
This is upon the assumption that not
a dollar of . increased appropriation
will be made for any - purpose
over the last year's appropriation
'yet I understand that there will be
from $30,000,000 to $40,000,000 in-
o
O
C
O
f
o
CO
H i
in I
Z
D
H
X
o N
in
O
n
e Pains? g
H
n
er and better equipped than ever be-j crease asked .
fore; in the Jace of the fact, as the ' other than the Army and Navy m-
S ' Whythos
m
M ' Here is a testimonial unsolicited
w "If I had my will it would
Js be advertised on every Btreet MI) I S
M corner. The man or woman Bt'
V I IITflfl'llflll! to keep and use Sloan's Lini- g' h
l iilil ment is like a drowning man
w ij Hi refusing a rope." A. J. Van fiwMjV
g Sloan's LJI,
1H Liniment
, M
-
A