St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-07
ROASTED BY INGALLS,,
The Kansas Irridescent Calls
a Halt on National Ex-
travagance.
Enormous and Profiigate Ex-
penditureS in Times of
Peace. J
The Ships of 1880 Already
Obsolete, Useless and
Antiquated.
Our Only Enemy England, and
She Knows Better Than
to Strike Us.

contributed to New York Truth by eX-
Senator ingalls,, which has created so
much comment. is in substance as fol-
lows: The annual Shrek about our de-
fenseless coasts, and the bombardment
OF New York. Philadelphia and Boston,
has been emitted. The yearly pam
phlet describing the blood curdling Incl
dents and the appalling consequences of
the war with Chilli and Spain in 1905
has been sent to each senator and rep
resentative in congress. The editorial
estimates in the metropolitan press of
the amount OF property within reach of
an Italian ironclad in the lower bay,
and of the ransom that could be eX-
torted from the merchants and bankers,
have all been submitted and are filed
away for use again in 1892. Their pur-
pose is to reconcile the people to the
passage of the naval appropriation bill,
and to enormous and
PrOfigate Expenditures
in time Of peace, for ships. fortlfcations
and munitions of war. The capacity OF
the United States to create navy in an
emergency was demonstrated in the
rebellion. The duel between the Moni-
tor and the Merrimac in Hampton roads
revOlutiOniZed naval warfare, and the
problem has since been to construct
armOr that no projectile could penetrate,
and then to invent projectiIes that no
armor could resist European nations
have been conducting these expensive
experiments hitherto, and the ships OF
1880 are already obsolete and antiquat-
ed for attack or defense. Dynamite and
other explosives complicate the situa-
tlon, ana the navy that we are now
building at cost of $50.000.000 will be
as worthless in 1900 as Roman galleys.
England, France and Italy would gladly
Sell us their fleets at 80 per cent of their
cost. Ii we are to depend upon navy
for protection, we must have ships
enough to assemble at
Every vulnerable Point
force as large as could be dispatched
against it. The millions we are squan-
dering Oh vessels that are spent on Idle
errandS in ''Squadrons of evolution
painted pageantS of the deep, had bet
ter be spent for earthworks and power
full guns to command every roadstead,
channel and harbor which a hos
tile fleet could threaten or assail. Is
there any necessity for spending mill
ions every year for naval defenses, or
any justification for the hyStercal ap-
pealS to popular apprehensive alarm?
Our policy is pacific. We have no col
ONES nor dependencies nor entangling
alliances. Wars break out unexpected j
ly. it is true. sometimes, but from what
quarter can danger be nationally an
ticipated? Our relations with France
are those of traditional amity: with Ger
many, of kinship and cOnsunguinity,
with Russia, of fraternity. The rest
are trivial. Our only enemy is England,
and she is under bond to keep the peace.
No other nation is so vulnerable, and
none SO detested. She has incurred
the resentment of the human race by
Centuries of Injustice.
Col. Mcclure, noted Mississippi
duehSt, had occasion to kick an unre-
sISting gentleman at hotel in NatcheZ.
Being not long after in Memphis, the
colonel saw his victim subiecting an
other TO the same treatment. Being
somewhat curious and uncertain as to
the identity of the person. he said, Are
you not the fellow kicked down stairs
i'll Natchez?" Yes" replied he, "but,
colonel, you and ] know who to kick
England kicked US when we were help
less and feeble. She sacked and burned
defenSeless capital. She has kicked
Ireland; she has kicked Egypt: she has
kicked the HindooS, the Zulus, the
Beers. the Chinese: but sheiS not in the
habit of kicking her equals. Her cour-
age is prudent and calculating. She
was careful not to kick Napoleon until
the rest of Europe Joined her, and she
endured Russian aggression until she
had persuaded France to bear the brunt
OF the Crimean campaign. In our civil
war she did all she could, short Of open
hostility, TO
Destroy the Union.
and then apologiZed and paid damages.
Lately we have had another contention
about seal pOaching and the Behring
sea. Oceans of ink have been shed in
diplomatic correspondence between
Lord Salisbury and Secretary Blaine.
Great Britain fortified Vancouver and
sent ships Of war into the disputed
waters, walking around, metaphori-
cally speaking. begging US to knock the
chip from her shoulder OF to tread on
the tails of her coat. Legally, she had
an open case at least: III some respects
the best Of the argument. 4 casuS belli
could easily have been found. if wanted,
was imminent. The boldest, held his
breath for while. Immense apprO-
priati0ns were promptly voted for forti-
flcations and the navy, and then. while
the national hair was standing on end,
England Suddenly came into our SUI
preme court as a suitor and submitted
the whole controversy to the decision
of that great tribunal. Newspapers that
described the dramatic utterances of
senators about the dangers of war with
Great Britain contained, in another col
umn of the same issue, an account OF
the proceedings in the old senate cham
Der in which Lord Salisbury submitted
the claims of England to adjudication
as q question of international law. 1t
was reassuring, but it was laughable,
nevertheless. join J. INGALLS,.