Evening journal., 1898-03-28
HIGGINS ON THE NAVY.
The Recent Events Have Veri-
fed His Predictions.
PLEA FOR A STRONGER NAVY

HE MADE TO CONGRESS WHEN
HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE
UNITED STATES SENATE-TT |
APPLIES WITH PECULIAR FORCE
TO-DAY.
Ex-United States Senator Anthony
Higgins has retired from active par
ticipation in political affairs but he is
watching, with keen interest, the deyel-
opments in the American-Spanish con-
troversy over the blowing up of the
Maine and the cessation of hostilites in
Cuba.
When a member Of the United
States Senate he made a stirring and
sensible appeal to Congress to 50 aug
ment the naval forces of the country
as to protect American interests both
at home and abroad. 1t was made on
Saturday, March 2, 1895, and the fol-
| lowing Is its text.
Mr.. President: I regret very much
that the Committee on Appropriations
/ should have felt constrained to pre-
sent the amendment which is pending
in the Senate. The ground upon which
they base their suggestion to reduce
the number of proposed battleships
from three TO two is that Of economy
always a meritOriOus plea to COnsidera-
| tion-and yet It seems strange to me
that they felt compelled to urge this
plea when the executive branch OF the
| government, represented in this behalf
by the secretary of the navy, has made
the suggestion that we should have at
least three ships. l conceive that the
Committee on Appropriations of this
body have no larger sense Of the ne
cessity OF economy and the responsible
| ity for economy than the president or
secretary Of the navy.
Attention has been called by the SEN
ators who have just spoken on this
question to the fact that the House OF
Representatives have voted the three
? battleships. and believe il
is a fact that the Naval Com
mittee Of the Senate have unanimously
recommended that the number be three
and not two, and yet, in the face Of al
this concurrence of opinion. the Com
mittee on Appropriations urges this re
duction.
1t strikes me. Mr.. President. that th'
people Of this country do not feel an!
, longer like permitting themselves L
I ignore the proper position Of tn
United States among the nations OF tn
4 earth. We are one Of the six first-clas
D powers; we are as strong as any. / d.
= not know but what each OF the Other
would admit that we are the strongest
s 1 remember as much as ten years ag
= OF a friend OF mine telling Of visit h
y made to the Bank Of England, and i
d sight Of Its boarded treasures he said Z
S the governor: What vast wealth; I;
and the reply came swift: "Oh, nc
America is the richest nation on th
globe" And so we are, Mr. Presiden
=, in both developed and latent resource
. No such body Of land on this earth
" the temperate zone is occupied by an
single nation as ours. SO we do nc
n need to withhold adequate approprif
10 tions because we are not equal 10 th
exigency.
We are the strongest in the poss
bilities for war. After the demOnstrs
tion OF our civil conflict OF over thirt
years ago, no doubt was left on thl
Ie question. We are the richest and "
5t are the strongest, and there is no nee
If why We should withhold our hands Il
, judicious expenditure on the groun
" that we are not.
IS Our position, Mr.. President, from u
n outset Of our history. from the declari
ut tiOn and achievement OF our indepen'
N ence, has placed Us in a most impO
tant attitude in relation to the other NJ
tiOns. II was so in the war OF ind
pendence, and we speedily after tn.
4. war became the second carrying pow
rI1i on the globe, and during the war
20 1872 after the destruction OF the fee
,9 OF France and OF Spain, we a
"a tually became the second naval pOwe
We cannot ignore our relations
y the rest OF the world In respect OF o'
II foreign commerce That foreign COZ
merce is now measured in the annu
balance Of trade income and outgo, an
It already exceeds a thousand milli,
dollars. In a certain sense II is mea
u ured by the very appropriations '
n make, which now for each COngre
he and each biennial period exceed a tho
ty sand million dollars.
at That is a commerce for a populati'
lis Of 10000, 900 people. What will It
nd when, in the near future, those 70,O0'
Is 900 swell to 10O 900 ,000 and soon ther
after the 100, 1000, 600 becomes 200, ,00
900? Our foreign commerce will grC
in proportion to cur population, b
80 | there Will come other great chang
~ along with that, as have called 70 Z
nc attention Of tho Senate on former CcC
W siOns and questions.
We have already arrived at the 9
practically Of our land for HOMESTEAD
y / grant you there is a great deal OF u
us occupied land in the United Stat
available for agriculture upon the
cific coast, which will all have to be
. duced to possession. so TO speak, by
en ak Of the wOodman; but Uncle San
at is no longer rich enough 10 give US
Ill a farm. To-day the needy Americ
ct youth finds it is not open to him 20
in upon the treeless prairies and find
NJ. home given, 70. him; he will have
seek his fortune in some other fie
and to manufactures and to CONNER
rather than TO agriculture, will {
growing population have to apply its
. Thus we find that we shall have
Tvs larger, a growing, interest and depel
~ ence upon our foreign commerce.
ate In the earlier stages Of the repul
ate we were but a sparsely populated friI
/ re Of states upon the Atlantic coast. N,
~ vra f,tIltt ncounv the paaffo ooocf and