Helena weekly herald., 1889-03-28
THE SECRETARY OF NAVY.

At Brooklyn banquet rendered Secre-
tary Tracy by his associates of the Hamil-
ton club, very recently, the significant
event, of course, was a speech by the new
Secretary, and we suppose it was the in
tention to give him an opportunity to ac-
quaint the country with the purpose and
plan of his administration of the naval de-
partment. At any rate the speech contained
not merely the views of the Secretary but
of the President.
When rendered the nomination, speak
ing of his own inexperience, the President
replied: "If 1 thought that you believed
you could plan or build a ship, don't
think should have appointed you, for you
might have proved stumbling block
in the way of those officers whose
duty encompasses those things" In our
zeal for superior navy, we expressed
wish long ago that, in the selection of
Secretary of the Navy, consideration
should only be given to the highest quail
fications for efficiency and zeal according
to knowledge. The crisis has come in our
national development when everything
hinges on and centers in the creation of
navy. 1t is the only arm through which
the power of our great nation can be ex-
tended so as to be felt by every nation of
tie world. Through it our foreign policy
must find expression. And by means of
this arm, too, we are to win back the glory
and prosperity of our commercial marine.
President Harrison was right in saying
that the place could not be filled by a man
who could build ship himself, for natur-
ally such man has fixed ideas Of naval
construction that would lead him to reject
whatever did not correspond to those
ideas. In naval matters there should be
the widest range left open for the play of
invention and new ideas. If the advice Of
experienced naval constructors or officers
had been followed the little Monitor would
never have been built.
There is now general lack of confidence
in the serviceable qualities of those enor-
nous and costly iron-clads that make up
the great navies. 1t is yet an unsolved
problem what kind of war ship is going
to win the crown of pre-eminence and
sway the scepter of the seas. This is the
problem that our inventive genius is to
solve and we want head of the Navy De-
partment who will lay under tribute all
the inventive resources of our people till q
a model war ship is designed, constructed
and its efficiency established.
Secretary Tracy, at the same banquet said
that the navy-yards during his admins
tration should not become the asylum of
careless, poor and incompetent workmen
In this he deserves universal support and
praise. We want no political navies or
navy yards. We want war ships that will
carry the country's flag to every corner of
the globe and never strike it at the sum-
mons Of any foe. We want navy that
will cover our coasts and harbors from any
possible harm and under whose shelter the
commerce of the seas shall find safety and
protection.
II is not more q contest of resources than
one of inventive skill and in either direction
we can confidently challenge the nations of
the world to the trial With all proper re-
spect for economy the necessities and Ger
tain advantages render cost a subordinate
consideration. Success and superiority
will pay, no matter how great the cost,
while inferiority at any cost will be dear,
if not utter waste.
1t is not to be supposed that we can
invent the most destructive war ship and
keep the invention to ourselves, and thus
put an end to competition, but we believe
with proper encouragement can always
keep ahead of every nation when once we
have got our proper place at the head of
the procession.