The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-13
THE WAY OUT.

THE WAY OUT.
1t would be far from an unfortunate
result of the controversy over the price
to be paid for armor plate for our
new battleships if the completion of
these were to be delayed for some
years to come. If the armor plate
trust is firm in it's determination to
stick the United States government
for exorbitant prices, or else to decline
to furnish material altogether, this
should decide to establish a plant Of
its own, as is under contemplation, this
would require a number of years be-
fore it was in working operation In
the meantime, if the peoples resources
are to be squandered upon preparations
and ornaments, whose only possible
effect must be to incite war, instead
OF to prevent it, it would be a gain
to the nation, upon the whole, to sink
few millions in a manufacturing
establishment that could not disturb
the peace, rather than to add to our
already ample naval resources, and
thus increase the risk of those assaults
upon the liberties of others out of
which alone is it in any way probable
that war to which the United States
should be party could arise
The movement for a new navy,
praiseworthy at it's inception, when we
had not a man-of-war that could be
sent to any part of the globe without
exposing US to the derision of the ma.
lions, has now proceeded, as is usual
with such crusades in this country. to
an extravagant and unfortunate ex-
IRENE. A hundred years of experience.
during all of which time we were
practically exposed, in a defenseless
condition, to the attack Of any power
that might be foolish and wicked
enough to make one, showed conclu-
sively that we need never fear an en-
broilment unless we chose to seek
and invite one. 1t was we'll enough
that, in view of our great coast line
and of possible complications in dis
tant quarters, where the rights OF
American citizens might need to be
protected, we should have an ade
quate naval force. We reached and
passed that point long ago. We have
today navy that is ample for all OF
our needs, unless we wish to enter
upon policy of fiIibustering and con-
quest. Every addition to it's numbers
makes that unwise departure from our
traditions more probable. The new
battleships and cruisers, upon which
every secretary of the navy now in
sists, and which congress is easily i'm.
duced to authorize as a part of its
general scheme of extravagance. are
not needed for defensive purposes. or
to maintain the honor and dignity of
the nation.
Furthermore, the experience Of all
nations in the past shows that this
is economically the most wastefuI lux
ury that a nation can enjoy, as well
as the one most threatening to its
peace. A new man-of-war rarely gets
into commission before it is essen
TALLY out of date. SO rapid is the
progress of invention and improve
ment that, in the space of from two
to five years which is devoted to the
building of modern battleship new
types have come into existence so SUI
perior to the old thatthe latter at once
rate as second-class. 1t is not beyond
the probable that, if the hulks now
waiting for their coat of armor had to
wait until a government plant could
be established, they would never be
completed. Their ineffectiveness in
comparison with newer ships would be
so demonstrated by that time that they
would be abandoned. Anything that
tends to check and restrain the prac-
tice OF making unnecessary additions
to our navy is a public gain. If the
policy now in vogue is continued and
carried out, it is a moral certainty
will be engaged in foreign war in
which it is the wrongful aggression.
It's ships and its naval officers must
have something to do; and once let
them, filled with the martial spirit,
come into collision with the subjects
of a foreign power, no matter what
the right or wrong of the cause, the
instinct of the nation to stand by it's
of the difficulty almost out Of the
question. Therefore, we say it would
be distinct gain to US as people,
and to the peace of the world, if we