Extracts from Champ Clark's speech before the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri - May 7, 1915
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Extracts from the Speech of CHAMP CLARK Before the Missouri School of Journalism of the University of Missouri, at Columbia, Friday, May 7th, 1915. at 11A.M.
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[page 1] It must be taken and accepted as a fact incontrovertible that no person worthy of American citizenship wants to see this country involved in a war with a foreign country. It is a thing incredible with any American desires, the event of a foreign war, the defeat and humiliation of our county. It is constantly and vociferously asserted that we have no navy and the The Congress is to blame. I deny the last proposition absolutely and regard the first as a gross exaggeration. There is a saying appertaining to the game of Whist, “When in doubt lead trumps” so when anything does not please some folks “Blame the Congress!” seems to be the proper caper. Not long since when one of our submarines sank in Hawaiian waters an effort was made by certain persons and papers to load the responsibility for that mysterious disaster upon the Congress. As the Congress appropriated abundant money years ago to construct that submarine, and as the Congress has nothing to do with submarines or any other war vessel subsequent to making appropriations, the endeavor saddle the responsibilty on the Congress was
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[page 2] so preposterous that it was abandoned suddenly and let us hope forever. It must be assumed that every sensible American desired to see adequate preparations made for our defense in case of war, but no sensible American wants to see the vast sums of money which the congress appropriates for the army and navy wasted—as has been done, if, as the Jingoes assert, we have no navy and no army. It is high time to find out who wasted it and punish them when found. If they have wasted the vast sums the Congress appropriated, is it not fair to assume that they we would waste the vaster sums which they demand? It will be generall conceded that we had an effective navy during the Spanish War. At least the heroic deeds of Dewey, Schley, Sampson, Hobson and other worthies will be told in song and story as long as courage is prized among men and the voyage of the Oregon Under Captain Clark will rank with the march of Xenophon’s Ten Thousand and with Doniphan’s Expedition. A man who would deny the efficiency of our navy in the Spanish war would be possessed of amazing hardihood and would be entitled to a conspicuous place in Colonel
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[page 3] Roosevelt’s Ananias Club. Never-the-less and not with-standing, although we had an efficient navy during the Spanish War, during the fiscal years 1900 to 1915 both inclusive the total appropriations for the navy have been one billion seven hundred and twenty eight million nine hundred and eight seven thousand two hundred and two dollars and fifteen cents. The naval appropriation by the Congress for the fiscal year 1916, which begins at midnight June 30th, is One Hundred Forty Nine Millions Six Hundred Seventy Six Thousand Eight Hundred Sixty Four Dollars and Eighty eight cents. Beginning with an efficient navy in 1899, we have appropriated nearly two billion dollars on it since, and yet it is constantly drummed into our ears that we have no Navy worthy of a Great Power! If that be true, what in Heaven’s name has gone with the money? Who got it? It may interest you to know what the principal maritime nations spent on their navies in 1914, as compiled by the New York Evening Post, which I take it is substantially correct.
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[page 4] Great Britain, ----- $231,546,500.00 France, ----- 104, 238,815.00 Russia, ----- 121,247, 270.00 Germany, ----- 115,195,970.00 [Austro-Hungary], ----- 30,032,755.00 Italy, ----- 50,789,230.00 Japan, ----- 49,304,560.000 United states, ----- 147, 494, 335.00 Only one nation, Great Britain, exceeded the amount appropriated by the American Congress, which is freely denounced by the Jingoes as niggardly in its treatment of the Navy! How False! How Nonsensical!
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[page 5] I believe I can suggest a cure for a large part of the waste can effectually answer the demand for larger appropriations. Let the Government itself build its own war vessels and make all its own armor plate, cannons, small arms, powder and other munitions of way by land and sea and do so as economically as is consistent with the best workmanship, then the ship builders, armor-plate makers, powder-makers, gun-makers, munition-makers, who fatten off the Government would cease to cry like the horse-leeches daughter “Give! Give!” Their demand for greater appropriations would cease so suddenly that so far as they are concerned there would be silence audible. I am weary of hearing those whose patriotism is measured by what they can make out of Government contracts abuse the Congress for what they assert is its lack of patriotism. The Congress and all other officials who have anything to do with appropriations are the trustees for the people and the Congress dares not abuse its trust. As to the Navy, the American people are divided into three parts as Caesar divided Gaul: 1st. At one extreme
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[page 6] are those who contend that we should have a navy equal to the greatest navies of any two nations in the world---at least equal to Great Britain’s Navy. 2nd. At the other extreme are those who are against our having any navy whatsoever. They are “the Peace at any price” men. 3rd. Between these widely extended extremes are those who believe that safety and wisdom in this matter as in most others, lie in medias res, that is betwixt and between the extremes afore- mentioned and they, rejecting both extreme views, are in favor of an adequate navy-merely that and nothing more. A vast majority of the American people including myself belong in this class. I state very frankly that if I felt reasonably certain that we needed no war vessels, I would vote for none and that if I were reasonably certain that we needed fifty I would vote for fifty. I permit no man to be more patriotic than I am. This is my country, the country of my children and my children’s children till the last syllable of recorded time.
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[page 7] But a patriot is not necessarily a Jingo or an idiot and I absolutely decline to be stampeded into the wicked wanton waste of building a Navy equal to the two greatest Navies or even equal to that of Great Britain’s.
Details
| Title | Extracts from Champ Clark's speech before the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri - May 7, 1915 |
| Creator | Clark, Champ |
| Source | Clark, Champ. Extracts from Champ Clark's speech before the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri. 07 May 1915. Clark, Champ (1850-1921) and Bennett Champ (1890-1954), Papers, 1853-1973. C0666. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columb |
| Description | In this May 7, 1915 speech before the University of Missouri's School of Journalism in Columbia, Missouri, Champ Clark argued that the United States should stay out of World War I. Champ Clark, a long-time resident of Bowling Green, Missouri, was a politician in the Democratic Party. He served as a representative of Missouri from 1893 to 1895 and from 1897 to 1921. From 1911 to 1919 he served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. |
| Subject LCSH | Clark, Champ, 1850-1921; World War, 1914-1918 |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
| Site Accession Number | C0666 |
| Contributing Institution | The State Historical Society of Missouri |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the State Historical Society of Missouri: 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri, 65201-7298. (573) 882-7083. |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
| Date Original | May 7, 1915 |
| Language | English |