The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-07-12
yhc Naval Parade. q

The Columbian Naval Parade is
over. 1t has been the object of uni
vers,l attention from the first asse m
bling of the ships ut Hampden Roads
until the close of the street parade IN
New York Oh Friday The 2Sth ult
l'rom its own s,nndpnint it has been @
great success. 1t WIS 40 easy thing tt
gather together from ditftrent parts OF
ihe earth lhlrty-five ships Of war OF
ten nations, some of which have nc
very frienuiv feelings towards one an
other, and take chem through Il cruise,
u parade anu review Snch as have
Just taken place from Hampden Roads
10 the mouth of the Hudson.
1t is scarcely possible that any other
nation except the United States could
lave done this. 1t is a great credit
and honor to us that we were in such
relations of frienilinSSs to the powers
represented as To be able TO do the ap-
,arently impossible; much more cred
liable than that We were able to put
thirteen well built ships of war into
favorable comparison with the war vcs-
sels of other nations.
1t is equally impossible that such a
raval exhibition shonld have taken
place in any earlier age of the world.
Half century ago even, if these YES
sells had come iuto contact, they would
have proceeded to blow each Others
.des in, instead of firing sllv"s and
making pretty exhibitions Of men and
flags.
II is not therefore wholly improper
TO speak of this great gathering OF
ships as All "armada Of peace, as some
Of the papers have done. 1t is the
growing Spirit of fricndliness and peace
of our time that made it possible, and
not the improvement in armor plate
and destructive guns. The results of
meeting and exhibition Of these ships
in peaceful way will also help. in
some degree, to deepen the feelings OF
friendship between the nations. No
fleet of war ships could be put to any
better use, and since they exist it would
be an excellent scheme 20 keep them
together and send them round the
world to exhibit in turn, in all the
chief harbors of the different counti-
nents. This would cost two millions
or so extra each year, but it would be
the next best thing to sinking them
outright and deciding never to build
any more.
There was much that was admirable
in the parade. The order, the diScip-
line, the courtesies, the beauty of the
movements Of the hig ships, the skill
Iul manipulation Of tie flags, the fine
uniforms iaShishjmg in the sunlight,
the flying c"lors. tnc splendid columns
OF marching men, the stirring music.
Even the most sincere peace man has
hard work not TO admire all this. In
itself it is admirable, magnificent,
like display OF EIeie"rs or comets o.
rainbows. 1t wa TIE love of display
and splendur that b. ought the great
crowds on the shoes to witness the
scene. Tie papers are saying that ii
was the great interest felt in our new
navy that called out the enthusiasm OF
the specta, Drs. But probably not one
in ten of them cared Il ar'hing wheth.
er we ave any Havy or not, The tax
pavers who were patl,ered there; gol
their moneys worth IN show and gilt
ter, ard viii probably "runlhle just as
much rs ever about taxes when they
get home.
While all the rGn.p and splen,!"r OF
this scene were going on we had re-
Elections. Why L. II tha: only thc
war side nf humanity, the art of kill
ing aud destruction. gets up such
splendid demonstrations us this? Take
oil all ,his display and glitter and lei
the ghastly sk eletou 0i war he seen in
It's reality. and not aruthcr army could
ever he III .stelei Oh ire field of battle,
These thiity-iivc floating furtitica
. li.l.s cost at least fifty millions of dol
lars for their original CONS: rIcti"n. Tt
. build all of the war vessels of ali class
es now atloat could not have cost less
than twenty times this sum, or one
thousand millions of dollars. The an
outlay for Keeping up all these wal
uavicS is mt least one forth of this sun
and probably much more, or from two
hundred and fifty to five hundred
millions year. What could not be
done with these vast sums of money
if. turned III the channels of peace
making? Lust year the Swiss govern
iucIIt vo.e6 three thousand frances t.
and the Peace Congress, and this yea
the Norwegian has voted the sum I"
seven thousand 20 a!d the lnler-par
llllltlllaTt OIL 'p'tItt Az bt iI'l"
Summer in Christi;GlIa. Those, so IA
as We know, arc HE first sums eve
voted directly 10 SUPPORT the peace
moYcment.
4 gain, most of these thirty-fve Ship
are under ten years old and some o
them already sufficiently anti-quate'
10 be useless in time of actual war
Gare. Ten years more will put then
:.Il Oh the retired list, and new one
costing much more will take thei
placeS. The next hundred war YES
sells built will cost over three hundred
millions OF dollars.
The remark made above about thi
demonstration being in some measur
IN the interest Of peace was made II
all sincerity. Hut while watching
with a feeling of admiration the splen
did water spectacle in New York har