Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-06
AMERICAS NAVAL POLICY.
Review Issued by Assistant Secretary
Roosevelt.

Review Issued by Assistant Secretary
Roosevelt.
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt has issued
pamphlet reviewing the naval policy Of
the United States from the foundation Of
the government, and appending extracts on
the subject from the messages of all the
Presidents from Washington down to Nc
Kinley.
THE utterances of the Presidents here
quoted" says Mr.. Roosevelt, in his sum-
mary. tell in outline the growth of the
navy. Washington first advocated its for
melton for reasons which apply now as
forcibly as they applied when he wrote
more than century ago. What he said
shows how well on this as on all other
questions. the greatest of Americans ap-
preached every problem Of vital interest to
America in a spirit of the broadcast patriot
ism and craftsmanship, combined with
clear appreciation OF the needs of the pres
ent and keen insight into the greater needs
which the future would develop.
Under the elder Adams the navy which
Washington advocated was actually be-
gun. and even in its infancy it accom-
pliShed feats of note. The work of build
ing 1t up was unwisely stopped, and the
war of 1872 showed clearly the vital bene-
fits conferred upon the nation by the little
navy which it possessed. and the terrible
loss and damage caused by the fact that in
size this navy was but small fraction of
what 1t should have been The utterances
of Monroe. the younger Adams and Andrew
Jackson show that the lesson was at least
partially learned, and our navy, though
never brought up quite to the standard 1t
should have been in point of size, was
nevertheless maintained in a condition Lot
wholly out of proportion to the needs and
the honor of the nation.
Especial attention should be paid to the
second quotation from Andrew Jackson
The victor of New Orleans had that in
stinct for the jugular' which is possessed
by every great tighter. All that he saws
applies to the present day. for as he
points out SO clearly. the only effective de-
1ensive is the offensive: the only way to
de1end our own seacoast properly is to at
tack our enemy instead of waiting for him
to attack us.
1t Is for this reason that we cannot af-
ford to rely purely upon torpedo boats or
upon any KIND OF mere coast defense YES
seis Though 1t is. of course. absolutely
necessary TO have an abundance of .orDedo
boats. We must also possess a powerful
Meet OF Ships able to hold the seas, able to
MAKE long VOYAGES. to stand rough weather
ana to meet and overcome in the shock of
oatue any enemy's fleet: for it is the enc
my s fleet which should be the true oh
1ective In naval war. Fortifications are in
dlspensabie, but they in no sense equal or
supply the place of fighting navy.
In point of eri ciency ou ships need fear
comparison with those of no foreign ma
ton. and though they are not as numerous
strides IN the right direction have Teen
taken. II we continue to build up our navy
ior Few years to come along the lines we
nave followed for the fifteen years irme-
oiately past, We shall within a comnare
livery snort period place the United States
where she should be-among the naval
powers of the world
such navy would be, as all of our
great leaders from the days of washington
ana the elder Adams to our own have
pointed out, the surest guarantee of nea,a
ana II by any unlucky chance we were to
from material disasters, but, what Is of in.
calcu!abiy more moment, it would prevent
that loss of national honor which would he
IeH as keenly in the furthest interior of
lahtic or the Pacific" ~