The times., 1897-09-05

positive man. His views on any topic a re
always Interesting and always read. He
is thoroughly American in his ideas and his
admiration for the Institutions Of his ooun-
Try Is unbounded. He is firm believer
IN strong navy and has issued pamphlet
which not only embodies his views on this
iu.Dortant subject, but those Of President
Mckinley and Secretary Long Mr
Roosevelt says:
The following references by Presidents
Of tie Uniled states TO the urgent need
of tie United states poss sesslng' a proper
Navy, corresponding To the nations posi-
ton as a great power, and ready at any
time for efficient service in war, could be
multiplied q thousand fold from the
speeches and writings Of almost all the
statesmen who have stIiven disinteIsst-
edly and intelligently for the true honor
and greatness of America. BY no means
al Of the references made by the Presi-
dents themselves have been taken tin the
pampmetl. Many Of them, such IS Presi-
dent Iaylor's urgent appeals for the estab-
lishment Of q retiring list and pension list,
and the Improvement OF the personnel Of
the Navy, or the recitals Of the glory
gained and conferred by the Navy III tie
war Of 1912 and the civil war, are
omitte,i because they do not bear on the
problem Of the present day, W hich is, in
my own opinion, 10 further strengthen the
Navy, both in material and personnel, il
battle ships, in torpedo boats III dry docks,
In numbers Of officers and men.
Fortunately the quality OF the ships and
gum. ard OF the Officers and men, that
we have, is excellent.
TIE utt,lances OF the President here
quoted tai IN outline the growth of The
Navy. Washington first advocated it,
Formation for reasons which apply now
rs forohly as they applied when he wrote
o-er a century ago. What he said shows
well how, on TINS a. on al other questions,
the greatest OF Americans approached
every problem Of vital interest TO Americ;t
in a spirit OF the broadest patriotism and
statesmauship, combined with clear ap-
probation of the needs Of the present and
keen insight into The greater needs which
the fit1re would develop.
Under The elder Adams the navy which
Washington advocated was actually re
gun. and eve. in its infancy il accom-
plished frats OF note. The work oi build
ing it up was unwisely stopped, and the
war Of 1912 showed clearly the vital
benefits conferred upon the nation by
the Little navy which il posses sed. and
the terrible los and damage Caused by
the fact Jbat in size this navy was but
Small fraction OF whaJit should have been.
The utterances of Monroe, the younger
Adams, and A ndrew Jackson show that
the lesson WAS at leas partially learned,
and our EavE, though never brought up
quite TO the standard il shoald have been
ia point Of size, was nevertheless main
tanned IL i condition not wholly out OF
proportion TO the needs and the honor
Of the nation.
Especial attention should be paid 10
the third quotation fTOrn andrew jackson.
The victor of New Orleans had that 'fn
sUinct Ion the Jugular'' which is possessed
by every great fighter. All that he sa -
applies 10 the present day, for, he points
out 50 clearly the only effective defensive
is the offensive, the only way to defend
our own seacoast properly is TO attack
our enemy instead OF waiting FOR him 10
attack rs. Ii is for this reason that we
cannot afford 20 rely purely upon torpedo
boats OF upon any kind OF mere coast-de-
feuse -essels. Though 1t is Of course also
lutely necessary TO have an abundance
of torpedo boats. we must also possess
d powerful fleet Of ships able 10 hold the
seas, able 70 make long voyages, 10 stand
rough weather, aud 10 meet and overcome
in the shock Of actual fight any enemy's
fleet; FOR 1t is the enemy's fleet which
should be the true objective Ia naval wa r.
Fortificatious are indispensa ble, but they
in no sense equal or supply the place Of.
a fighting navy.
Tho effect Of bringing the navy up to
something like a proper standard was
shown in the inestinlable services ii reh-
dered during the civil war. 1t is char.
acteristic OF Lincoln's farSeeing seaman
slip and loving care for the welfare, ulti-
mate as well as immediate, Of the people
for whom he was soon to lay down his
life, that, in the midst of the iron stress
Of the civil war, when the problems Of
the present would haze wholly absorbed
any lesser man, he should yet have thought
OF the future in connection with our Navy.
and should have advocated the building
Of those seagoing battleships which, Though
not needed IN civil strife, would most as
suredly be indispensable if the honor and
renown or America were 10 be upheld
against foreign powers.
After the close Of the civil war there
came 4 period OF reaction and decIiue.
IN spite Of Pres ident Grants repeated warn
inss and protests, spirit OF economy pre-
vailed, and our Navy was suffered 20 sink
below the level OF that of even the third
rate powers. Then, ia the middle of
President Arthur's Administration. the
turn came; the people and their representa-
tives awoke TO what was demanded by
national self-respect, the foundations Of our
Navy were laid, and ever since then under
every Administration the work of building
lt up has gone steadily on.
III point OF efficiency our ships need
fear conparIsOn with those OF no foreign
nation, and, though they are not asnumer-
Gus as they should ultimately be, yet long
strides in the right direction have been
taken. il We continue to build up our
Navy for a few years to come along the
lines We have followed for the fifteen
years immediately past, we shall, within
a comparatively short 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 and thu
elder Adams TO our own have pointed
out, the surest guarantee of peace: and ii
by any unlucky chance we were to have
war 1t would not merely save us from
material disasters, but, what is of in
ealculably more moment, IL would pre-
vent that loss OF national honor which
would be felt as keenly IN the farthest
interior OF the country as on the eaboarc
OF the Atlantic OF the Pacific.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Assistant Secretary.
Following are extracts from, ssa 20 80 49,.