The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-17
AN FARCE

The rate Of progress Of humanity is
made painfully slow by the long trail
of notions habits and absurdities. brad
under past conditions, obsolete now,
but clinging tenaciously, held by the
cement of ignorance, self-interest and
foolish pride. Some Of them we rid
ourselves of long ago, among them the
notion that we must be great military
power, maintaining a standing army
keeping ourselves abreast Of the war
power of European nations. Old King
George, who quartered his troops on the
colonists, has something to his credit
Tor this result. Time was when our
navy was perfunctory affair. in keen
ing with our army; but Of late Years
we have been sited with a renaissance
OF navalism, started by sundry Eastern
steel interests. and cultivated carefully
by editorial alarms for our defense
less coasts. A couple of fictitious war
scares have been sprung to support the
campaign for battleships and big an
preparations. A foolish pride Of rivalry
gave It's support, and ignorance of the
fundamental fact that the strength of
this nation against foreign insult and
aggression lay more in it's exemption
from entangling alliances and its ahiI-
ity to avoid complications by simpIv
minding its own business and doing the
right, gave the movement its support.
We have had a rush Of battleshin
and cruiser building, with orr "wbita
squadrons" and flying squadrons" and
farcical sham blockades and top-heavv
warships, each one Of them sooner or
later running aground and going into
dry dock for extensive repairs. So far
this navy has accomplished but one
feat, the chasing Of the Itata into a
Chilean port, her capture and return.
and her release under orders Of one
OF our own courts. That was farcical
enough, but the armor plate farce ex-
cells that. 1t began ten years ago.
proceeded with all the solemnitv of 2
drama for some years and ends in the
receipt Of bids for more plate. 1t has
been put on the boards regardless of
expense, for our congressional man.
ayers are rarely economical. It in
volved the practical substituting Of two
plate mills by paying them twice what
armor is worth for some ten years Ont
Of the profits made already the plants
have been paid for by the public and
are still owned by their proprietors.
When 1t became known that these mills
were making plate for foreign navies
for S249 a ton for similar plate to that
furnished for our ships for which they
were getting $3.50 a ton, it occurred to
congress that the farce was getting a
trif1e too expensive and absurd. So q
provision was attached to the last
naval bill limiting the price to be paid
to $500 ton. in spite of Senator Ouay's
stout fight for $780,
The secretary OF the navy invited
bids. The two subsidized plants rested
on their dignity as wards Of the gov
eminent and declared that they would
make no tenders at such a paltry price
although they had made plate for Rus
STA at S51 a ton less than the limit
Pending the discussion in the senate
the Illinois Steel company had said that
it would furnish plate for s249 a ton
When the time came to open the bids
there was but one and that from the
Illinois company But it was hedged
about with sundry conditions. It would
not be justified in putting in the plant
unless 1t had assurance that it would
have use for it some longer time
than to fill the present tender. so II
wanted a twenty-year contract. Hav-
ing put in a plant 1t wanted to keen
it busy, so it conditioned !ts offer that
the quantity should not be less than
5000 tons nor more than Il, 900 annual
ly. AS the smaller quantity would
armor three or four battleships Uncle
Sam would have to go deeply into the
navy business and his pockets under
this condition. Then, as prudent bust
ness men. having In view the recent
national Issue. 1t further stipulated