Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 85, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 January 1915 — The Navy League Lecture. [ARTICLE]

The Navy League Lecture.

Our citizens were given a new viewpoint on t'he aim and object of the Navy League propaganda on Wednesdey of this week. ' Prof. Wm. M. Lewis of Chicago, who ie field secretary of the League, gave two lectures, "one at St. Joseph college in the afternoon and one at Ellis opera house in the evening. About 350 of the faculty, students and visitors were listeners at St. Joseph’s to the professor, who, by the way, is a much traveled man and a -pleasing platform speaker. The .pictures thrown on the screen begun with the old ship "institution, which is still afloat and closed with the present wonderful steel-clad dreadnaughts of '30,000 tons. The League is trying to educate the people up to the point of taking greater interest in naval affairs, and are showing the tax-payers the necessity of the. establishment of an organization of expert and high-class men who will see to it that we not .only get efficient but full value for the money expended. The Professor made this startling statement, that If we had had an adequate navy at the inception of the civil war, to prevent England from taking out cotton and carry in munitions of war to the southern confederacy, that war would have ended in six months, thus saving hundreds of thousands of lives, and billions of money in devastation to property and pensions to injured survivors. The speaker quoted from Washington, Patrick Henry and others, to prove the needs of the present hour, and certainly gave us something for earnest, serious consideration. Prof. Lewis should give his lecture at chautauquas, thereby reaching the ■ of Tbe interior who rarely, if ever, contemplate the proposition ot our coast defenses. Our townsman, John O’Connor, deserves much commendation for giving us the pleasure and instruction received. 1 xk

The Democrat is net at all in sympathy with this movement. We have certainly seen in the last few months what it means to be “prepared for war.” When the present conflict is ended in Europe we may be assured that this country will he safe from any trouble with foreign countries for many decades at least. The European countries will be so improverished that it will take them a long, long time to recuperate, and ’it is possible that militarism and all that the term implies will be ended I for good and all, and that disputes ■ between nations will be settled by international arbitration instead of by force of arms? This country certainly has nothing to fear at this time, and the longer the European struggle continues the less cause is there for fear from foreign, nations. Speed the time when swords will be turned into plowshares ih reality.