Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1896-04-18

| opened Senator Morrill, announced that
| Thursday next he would speak on the
| necessity of additional quarters for the
| national museum.
Senator Squire of Washington was
| recognized for a speech on coast do
| fenSeS.
sQUIKE'S SPEECH.
The National De1enses'' was the sub
| ject of Senator Squires speech, and as
| preliminary to a more detailed discussion
of the topic the senator said in part.
What an absurd spectacle has the con
Sress OF the United States presented dur
ing the present session by its persistent
talk of the intervention OF the United
States in behalf OF Cuba and Venezuela.
How cheap is all this talk sincere though
it may be on many occasions. Every man
who has Informed himself on the subject
Of national defense. knows that as a ma
tlon we are not IN condition to undertake
war or suffer war. We can talk loud and
long and profess sympathy, pass resolu-
lions and make believe to ourselves that
we are actually taking hand in the
diplomatic affairs and international
questions of great moment, but those
who are not deceived by egotstical CLAM
aware of the painful truth that this dem
onStraton is mere talk and bluster and
vapid sentiment at most sympathy
that is easily satisfied with merely verbal
expressions.
The people did not know how shame
fully their interests are being banded
and played with by these who represent
them in the halls of congress. They do
not know that the great sea coast cities
teemlng with wealth. are exposed and
defenseless against attack by foreign
naves with vessels far outnumbering
ours IN strength. They do not know that |
our navy itself may be hopeessly Grip I
pled by the destruction of our undefended |
navy yards, depots Of supplies, dock |
yards powder mills and arsenale'
The senator said all the evidence taken
by the committee on coast defenses had |
gone to show that the condition of our |
coast defenSeS is lamentable in the eX-
treme. The defensive works are of a
character incapable of resisting modern
The evidence is overwhelming
that n case Of war. our whole people
Woual suffer immeasurably.
From such investigation as has been
practicable. il is evident that a large
amount of destructble property, estimat-
Cd a not less than ten billion dollars IN
value, is exposed to attack or at least to
heavy assessment for the purpose of Sc
curing immunity from destruction. The
president Of the chamber of commerce of
New York has informed me- that he has
given careful attention to the question
# the property risks that would at pres
snt be sustained in the cities of New
y York, Brooklyn and Jersey City He has
consulted with many of his colleagues n
The great business institutions of New
ork and he estimates that property val
led a four billion dollars in those cities
S subject to destruction or TO imposition
II ransom in case of capture Of the
,ort Of New York by a hostile fleet.
At this point the senator presented a
statement showing a comparison of our
navy with that of England and also a
statement of all the steel vessels in the
american navv. including those author .
zed by law; riso some data as to the
naval fighting strength of other nations.
lie then said: :
This summary is believed to bt- the
most favorable to the United States that .
an he made from the records and still it
hows this country to be far behind the
.reat nations of the world in naval ,
trensth. Moreover, it leaves out of sight ,
ur deficiency i'll torpedo boats and tor
edo boat destroyers, of which latter We
ave today one small vessel in commits ,
con whereas Great Britain has 1871, Ger
nan 1l6. France 1os Italy 106, Russia Is
nd even Spain has IS torpedo vessels, all
n the list / have given being ll5 feet in
aneth and over. Sixty-two of the Brit
sh vessels are torpedo boat destroyers.
aving superior tonnage and speed"
And in this connection he said so it
: We are encircled as a nation With a
main of foreign fortresses and coalins
tations imperyious to attack, while our
ich sea coast cities and ports. commence
1g at Portland, Maine. near to the for
ilietl Halifax in Canada, continuing down
he east to Portsmouth, Boston. New
5eford Providence and Naragansett
say. New London, Bridgeport New York.
Wilmington Delaware. Nor
ok, Wilmington, n. c., Charleston, Port ,
Royal, Savannah Key West, Mobile and
,ew Orleans and Galveston within a few
ours rapid steamins from the foreign for
fled ports of Bermuda. Nassau. Havana
nd kingston and again on the Pacific
cast, San Diego, San Francisco. Portland,
oregon, and Puget sound, with its United
tates dry dock. cOalng places and cities
ONE Of them within sound Of the Brit
sh cannon at Esqumalt, all lay exposed
nd helpless at the attack of any foreign
over that possesses a navy.
"Fahulous wealth lies at the mercy of
freebootng enemy, if such shall at any u
me eude our small and scattered navy.
,ur foreign commerce and our coast
ra ding are alike without harbors OF
afuge behind land defenses. Our great
ry docks ami ship building yards, our
rms factories and powder mills near the
oast are subject to easy destruction and i
ur navy is without protected bases for ,
supplies and for effecting the
epairs that are constantly required. And :.
ct we plume ourselves on our diplonl-
ey."
In closing the senator hoped the bill
roviding for the expenditure of So,ooo,oor
Or sea coast defenses would be adopted
-ithout serious modification.