The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-04

s,1 run. Ne st,,v.rs nur,isas win their ssural
tramp ne Demonstrating sritons keeping stsI
| 70 ood Save the onssni the suiehstsppinl
/ rrsnehmsni the Germans. with their natty uni
forms; the Itsiisns ana Indeed. ali the dstaeh
Il rsnts were drilled and disciplined into nrhtinf
maohinsa Never vas snoh . sight witnessed befor'
as the sailors Of nns different nations marching TO
sstheri ana anything better calculated 70
impress upon thoss who saw them the lesson that the
American sailor keep his place upon the seas only
| when his Government 1, behind him"
| This, after all. should be an abiding moral
| OF the pageant for our copntrymen. II
| taught not only the beauty OF peace. but
| the duty. in peace, TO prepare for war. 1t
was suggestive, no doubt, that while,
seventy years before, Russia. Prussia, and
| Austria had entered into futile combine
ton to reduce the Standardization col
onies because they had set themselves up
as independent republics. here were Russia
and Germany joining their ships with those
OF republican France and the South Ameri-
can republics. 1t was still more suggestive
to find the armed forces OF Russia and Eng
land marching one after another In the
same streets and In the same column,
and the armed forces Of France and
Germany in like comradeship; while
and America. the sight OF them prompted
Secretary HERBERT to say that Great
Britain never formally renounced the right
of search. on account OF which the war OF
1912 was fought, until 1858. but the two
countries have made peace at last: mutual
good will and respect have been testified in
many ways. and never more significantly
than at this naval review"
Yet it is not the peace note with which
the Secretary closes. He insists. as his con-
clusion. that in spite Of Geneva arbitrations
and Paris arbtrations, we have not yet found
a safeguard against war. THE Geneva ar
bitration was achieved only after the ter
rifle battles Of our civil war had demonstrate
ed to the world the fighting capacity OF our
citizen soldiery. IfAmerica would keep her
own peace wit all the nations OK the earth.
and maintain her place in the vanguard OF
civilization, she must be at all times prepared
for war. This Is tho lesson OF history en-
phasized by the rendezvous and tho re-
view" We may add that such lessons were
wholly additional 10 the original purpose OF
the ceremony. which was TO furnish some
distinctly naval pageant as the fittest
possible form OF public festival in honor OF
the greatest OF voyages.
Indeed. 1t may fairly be said that the full
benefits OF this memorable pageant were
no. universally recognized when it was
planned. Even Mr. Herbert himself. al
though a member OF the House Naval
Committee. voted against the joint resolu-
ticn OF Congress which directed 1t to be
held but as its possibilities gradually be-
came apparent, he headed the successful
effort. ut subsequent session, to i'll
crease tho appropriation for it to tho
amount needed. Tts advantage derived
from bringing our own now ships
together for tho first time in considerable
numbers. has been exceedingly great. and it
has been increased by giving them the OPP
portunity to compare themselves not only
with each other. but with the picked war
ships OF eight other nations. Probably it
will be years before as many Of our vessels
can be got together again for squadron
drill and man9uvres.
Still, the great benefit OF the review
according to Secretary HERBERT. has been
in teaching what remains for the country
to do In its naval preparations. Tho
instruction came ut the right moment.
since for the first time in ten years
in tho work OF new construction in
tho navy. 1t may be many u year. we
think. before there will again be presented
IL Congress SO feeble programme in this
respect as that OF last winter. The impress
sive lesson OF the review. as set forth by
the Secretary, will make itself felt in a re-
turn to the spirit that had marked our pre-
vious steady and strong advances.