The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-04-30
Arc We in Need Of Navy that Shall
sSweep tine Seas ~

Are We in Need of Navy that Shall
"Sweep tine Seas -
1The following pertinent article
bears on question SO urgent, and OF
SO much practical moment, that we
gladly give it the benefit of our circu-
Iation. 1t appears in "'rhe Nation"
the weekly edition Of the New York
"Eyening Post."-EDs. STATESMAN.
in a speech, made few days ago by
William +. Gladstone. at the old town
of Chester, not far from his home al
Hawarden, surprise and regret were
expressed that this Republic-turnlng
aside from its traditions Of the past
should of late have embarked upon the
policy of building up and burdening
itself with great navy, according to
the bad way of the old European ma
tionalities. From one WHO, when nc
was leader of the party in power IN
England, deliberately withdrew from
a war (that of the TralisvaaD which
he was convinced had been unjustly
undertaken, this observation upon the
mistaken and dangerous policy-as he
conceives it to be-which we have en-
tered upon, comes with 4 g0ol grace,
and may be freely accepted as proffer-
ed i'm all sincerity and as dictated by Il
pure purpose Of helpfulness. 1t is the
language of wisdom, large experience,
and common sense, and l feel assured
that our people would do well to heed
its friendly intimatlons.
Only about two years have elapsed, ,
I believe, since highly respectable
delegation came hithcr from Great
Britain, bearers Of memorial signed
by between two and three hundred
members of Parliament, commencing
to our President and Congress and the
American people generally the deslra-
bility of entering into definite treaty
of arbitration between the two coun-
tries. Since then there has more than
one international dispute been peacea-
bly adjusted by arlitrators. So that,
since the beginning of i!c century, as
we are told, not les .l:;lii -i;!. cases OF
disagreement have lcen anic"hiy SET
tied. With such 4 recold before us,
pointing the way to the happy di>l"-
sition of all international disputes,
how is it that we are suddenly aW"k-
ing to the discovery that We are prac-
tically defenceless, and that the I'M
mediate creation and equipment or a
powerful navy, second to none III the
world, is an immediate necessity?
Then there is the calling together OF
the delegates from all the American
republics, a widely published purpose
of which gathering is to formulate, a
plan for the prevention of all wars be-
tween the States represented, by enter
ing into an agreement to submit all
cases in dispute, not otherwise ADJUST
able. to arbitration. This clause in
Secretary Baine's address of welcome
TO the delegates certainly reads we'll :
awe believe that friendship, crowned
with candor and maintained with good
faith, will remove from American
States the necessity of guarding bonn-
diary lines between themselves with
fortifications and military force" Now,
that has the sound of having been
written With "candor," and framed
Sin good faith" and there is not ap-
parepT any reason why we should
t'refd between the lines" Were there
tM remotest reason for believing this
10 be so, the Spanish dele
fpates now at the national capital would
Straightway gather together their I'M
De0i,neRtd, and report at the capitals
: of their respective !ri'ubllc1 with the
greatest CELEBRITY. Ohviou-!v. the great
clamor for navy preparation Which
has arisen at Washington, and Is see
onded in some other quarters, does
not contemplate anything OF ngHrrs>'
iyenesS in connection with our SISlel
republics of this continent.
Well, then, what have we done, OF
what are we about TO do, that all this
haste for providing ourselves with al
Irresistible fleet of warships, monitors
dynamite cruisers. torpedo-hoats, etc.
is deemed to be urgently necessary
We do not propose to quarrel with any
of our neighbors al the way down the
west Atlantic and east Pacific sea
boards to the mingling of the waters
at the Straits of Masellan-a water
way that few years ago was declared
by Chill and the Argentine Confeder
alton 10 be neutral, and upon the
shores Of which the Notifications O
neither nation, nor of any other ma
ton, were ever to be erected. And a:
regards England, France, Germany
and the other European Powers, j.
there any reason why our reciproca
Intentions and behavior should not bt
attended with as much "fricndship,'
"candor," and good faith" as our in
tercourse with the States of Mexico
and the several republics of Soutl
America? At any rate, would it no
be wise on our part, and reassurint
and helpful to the nationalitics on thu
other side of the Atlantic, burdcned a.
they are with the accumulated charges
for past wars, and Of Il state of pre-
paralion for possible impending con
1licts almost equal to the cost of wal
itself, to worry along about rs w
have in the past, to deal openly an(
Justly with our neigf hors and nc
quaintances, whether they he Span
ish-American, European, or Mongoli
nh, and so make it apparent tha
friendship, candor, and good faith ar
better defense than q big standing
army, elaborate coast defenses, and |
navy that is warranted to "sweep th'
seas 2"
Josiah W. Leeds, In Christian States