We had these two great scientific natural frontiers. With ordinary prudence we were beyond all question safe from attack. and it would be entirely for us to dec:.de whether we should pursue any adversary where we could suffer material damage. But with 1.300 islands 10.000 miles from our capital city. and on the other side of the greatest ocean in the world. if any nation should see fit to take advantage of anything in our internal condition or our relations with other nations to deal us a blow. all that it would be necessary to do would be to seize some sand reef in the Asiatic tropics. run up its flag. and then the honor of this nation would demand that we should expend billions of dollars and the lives of tens of thousands of our boys in order again to get possession of that strip of sand. We have thrown away our invulnerability. therefore. and have weakened our power in war for all its justifiable purposes by the adoption of this policy. And that we have increased the liability of war follows. necessarily. from the fact that we are thrusting ourselves among great and hostile neighbors and are taking a position which will invite an attack where war can be made upon equal terms. whereas under our old policy it was practically useless for other nations to attack us. After you shall have fastened upon the country the policy furthered by this bill. it will be the merest theatric and spectacular display to declaim about economy. You may make some miserable savings by cheeseparing. you may check the construction of great public works demanded for our development at home in order to continue abroad a policy without profit and without glory. But if you continue this policy of Asiatic empire. you will lay broad and deep the foundations for a system of expenditure which will rest heavily upon future generations. This country was happily placed in a position making possible an exemption from foreign war. If we are deliberately and wantonly to throw away this advantageif we are to adopt a policy which shall tax andburden twothirds of our people in order that the other third may wear uniforms or be borne upon pension rolls. we shall be rejecting the most precious gift that Providence ever bestowed upona nation.