The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-06-19

There r. no civil requirement which needs the
machinery or The erection u such liant:
Years arc required to bnild naval vessel Of
steel and iron to meet one OF the heavy armed
vessels Of England, France, ur Italy. An ade-
quate navy ought to he made ready, because
orr only weak lont rs power on earth. ~ 4
ration. IL the liability to be attacked by q naval
force pfccilitat.d upon Us, and cur cities laid
under contribution months before We .an b3
really with like force either 10 rcp3l or attack In
return.
But before The United States can be a naval
power with means OF attack or annoy nee Of
other nations. other than to he laughed ut, an
other provision has to he made which will take
still more time and still more expense than to
make provision for the means to move the ship
and tie gun after they are built.
BY what SCENE to me til. n, and w.at seems
to me row, more and mere "fatuity Ot diploma
cy," in order to make n tr.a.y with Engia Il b.
which. through arbit' alton, we mich; yet a few
million dollars instead of q manly. fill inlemii-
ficatfon for actual and valid claims of many
hundred millions Q actual MONEY, WRONGS ne
to lls during the war by the a. Is o; the ir.t.sh
Government, we agreed to a new rule OF nterna-
tional law thatsntiraly c:ippl if not "h lily de,
stroys our possible efficiency "a navel power,
We bound ourselves by the Treaty OF Washin. -
ton tat coal sh1u d be held "contraband OF
war;" that u To sly, that wlIa ever neatral M
tion shall fnrni h to the cruiser OF "A be!lig.r-
ent power in time OF war any coal fer any othcI
use sava TO enable suc: crns 10 cet quickly
and safely to 7 ort OF CT own county, sucii
nation so furnishing co i shall he held ie p n !.
such cruiser should 3ercafterwara do while
using that coal. That is TO say. in case oi war;
by the rule OF intentional law to which we
have bound onrs y. :, and rec nm 'nied other
nations To be bound thereb... 10 natiGn can per-
init her citizens 10 sell OF to iurni II an Amefi an
war vesse! w,tha ponni of coal except to bring
her home. Now This country has MT naval
station away from orr own shores on earth
where she has right TO have round vt coal
except she may buy L in the market IN time OF
peace, and tina IL forbidden by the rule have
mentioned in time OF war.
No American war lin has been built or can
lie built that can carry coal cnpugl, TO steam
fifteen days from hon.e and ret back. How
completely we were o.crrcachcd IN our diplOm-
acy will he seen VIII u we rel ctnber that tor enc
hundred years, nay. tor one hundred and nifty
years England has been establishing fortified
military posts AMI stations t,r coalin, and
magazines for other war material " hich make q
gir,ila arOund the EARTH
In case of war, any naval power has ships
enough to prevent us from establishing coal
Ing station In any place on earth where We can.
not march or armies.
is it out OF Place, while we arc commemoJ
rating the valor of cur soldiers and all that
they have done for us that we should ause,
even at their graves. n moment 70 reflect upon
our weakness in another direction which may
render the example Of their valor Intellectual to
protect us?
Even here and now let US call to mind
that the grandeur OF our position rs the
first military and civic power in the world,
with mo, more than fifty VI, millions lions OF PEOPLE,
sise war made upon us. yet because
Of our grandeur. because of our strength,
because OF oue prosperity and Of our alonndina
wealth. our flag borne upon American ships OF
war able to meet those of any ether nation
should be upon every sea, so that citizen OF
the United States c uld tcel wher opprcss ell by
tbs people OF any natoa. civilized or uncivi-
lied, that he is protectc by the strong arm OF
his Government which Is near for his instant
succor and relief, SO that he light rely on his
claim, l am an American citizen" as In the
nldcn times a citizen OF the most powerful gov
eminent on earth. also republic, could inter-
pose as shield never to be beaten down. lam
Roman citizen"