Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-10-04
ton at Worcester last week when the
anti-injunction plank was made the
subject of much blather.
Not 4 Cause for War.

Great Lakes to be used as training
ship by the naval militia of Michigan.
Dispatches from Canada have stated
that it was considered there as vio-
lation of the treaty of 1876 Some in
this country have taken that view Of
it, While it is now said the Yantic
is too big to go through the locks in
order to reach the lakes, thus allaying
any excitement over treaty violations,
it is interesting to note what Assistant
Secretary Roosevelt has to say regard
ing the criticisms that have been made:
1T is as absurd" he says, Ito charge
us with a violation of treaty in sending
the Yantic up there, as if we had re-
suscitated one of the galleys of Alci-
blades and sent it. Even then, to carry
out the smile. we should have to strip
the galley of it's arbalests. for we have
not left a single gun on the Yantic.
Some imaginative writer has said that
we were going to send a battery of rap
id fire guns to meet her at Detroit. This
is equally absurd. We have no rapid
fire guns to throw away on hulk like
the Yantic, for we have not enough to
equip even the effective ships that are
nneed of them. only wish we had some
more, for I know just where they could
be placed to some purpose. No. the
whole question was submitted to the
Judge advocate general, before the first
step was taken, and he gave us his
opinion that no violation Of treaty
would be involved. The Yantic is 4
condemned vessel no longer of use to
the navy department.. Under ordinary
conditions she would be sold. 1t So
happened, however, that the naval
militia of Michigan needed a floating
barrack, and we decided to lend them
this antiquated vessel. We might have
sold her to them and left them to make
whatever peaceful use they pleased of
her, in which case the United States
government would have washed its
hands of any diplomatic question. AS
it is now. having simply lent her, we
shall be at liberty, if they do not put
her to good use. to transfer her to the
naval militia of Ohio or some other
state 1t is about the most profitable
disposal of such an antique. We have
hard work to get rid of our vessels Of
out-of-d date types. We have been try
ing, for example, to sell the ram Alert.
formerly called the Alarm, but we can't
find a purchaser for her. She is not
good enough If our friends who are
trying to stir up hOstlities would read
the treaty before writing about it, they
would find that it simply provides that
no vessel over 100 tons shall be in the
upper lakes. Well, why have they not
complained of the presence of the
Michigan there?
THE Michigan was built fifty-fOur
years ago. She is less efficient today
for naval purposes than one of the
paddle-wheel passengers boats that ply
Long Island Sound. She is. however,
six hundred ton ship, so she has been
violating the letter of the treaty, six
fold, as long as she has remained at
her present post The fact is. both
countries have on the lakes at this mo-
ment, a good many craft which would
become available in case of war. and
which would be vastly more effective
than the Yantic. The Canadians have
a fleet Of five or six fish protection ves-
sells with rapid-fire guns. The United
States have two revenue cutters, which
could be similarly equipped, if neces-
sary. The Canadians have subsidized
line Of steamers, and we have merchant
vessels, ten times as many as they,
which could be, and would be much
more formidable than anything now on
the lakes, and bearing the naval stamp.
Why, the very naval militiamen own
a yacht which we could make better
use of in war, than we could of the
Yantic. 1t was built by Herreshoff,
and sent up into the lakes, yet nobody
thought of protesting. There are fifty
other yachts we should want before we
wanted the Yantic. So you see the
righteousness of the whole sensation.
which has been evolved out of nothing
to make reading for the silly season.