The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-08-30
BUILD MORE SHIPS,
SAYS THE SENATOR
Davis Would Keep Pace
With the Powers.
MUST HOLD THE GROUND WON
PACIFIC COAST NOW OUR MOST
VULNERABLE POINT.
MUST HOLD THE GROUND WON
IF Outwitted In the Far East Uncle
Sam Should Prepare to Resist
Aggressions That Have
Humbled China,
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NEW YORK, Aug. 29.-"The Ameri-
can people are aglow with patriotic
ferYor, and the utmost calmness Is
necessary in considering our future
course" said United States Senator
Cushman K. Davis to a World reporter
before leaving the city for his home
to prepare for his journey to Paris as
one of the five commissioners who are
to arrange the final terms of peace be-
tween the United States and Spain.
Events have made us one of the
great powers of the earth,'' he con-
tinued Whatever we may have de-
sired ourselves heretofore, destiny has
forced upon us responsibilities that we
must recognize and accept. We have
become a potent factor in the worlds
progress. A greater actual naval and
military power we are already. We
are not strong enough yet, but not an
hour must be lost in equipping our
selves to cope with any emergency that
may confront US. Our volunteer army
is as good, If not better, than any force
of the kind in the world, but we can
not rest secure in that thought. We
must have large regular army ready
at call in the future. We must have
as good a navy as any nation on earth.
for ship, we need fear nobody. But
we must build shns with true Ameri
can energy. Nothing must deter us.
We know that we have the men to put
behind the guns.
How are we likelv to be menaced in
the future?'' was asked.
Actually, we are not whit more
exposed to attack as a colonial power
than we have been every hour since
M
The glorious victories of our navy have
brought us new responsibilities. but
the Philippines or the Sandwich Islands
are not more isolated than are parts
of our Pacific Coast. Hereafter our
power must be felt on the Pacific
Ocean. The mere addition Of few
hundred square miles of territory by
danger.
China is the coveted part of the
earth's surface to-day. but who could
have predicted six months ago that
Russia, Germany or japan would not
have coveted a foothold on the North
American continent? Now we see the
trend of events in the east. Providence
has stepped in to point the future
course for us. We must police the Pa
cific Ocean. It's coast has been our
vulnerable point.
"You understand I am on record as
favoring the retention of the territory
which has been acquired by the SPLEEN
did victories of our arms. / am an
American citizen, speaking as such, and
my remarks have nothing to do with Of
fetal duties that 1 shall undertake in
October as a Commissioner to the con-
gress of Paris.
what that body will or will not do,
I would not predict if l could. I am
talking of the situation as it exists to-
day and as every American citizen can
see it. The interests of the United
States must be jealousy guarded from
this hour onward. We have been re-
miss and Indifferent in the past.
But we have risen to a new plane
to the level that we were really intend
ed to hold all along. Nothing but the
Indifference Of our statesmen has pre-
vented the United States from occupy
ing the place to which it belonged.
"Japan's triumph over China was
robbed Of most of its value to the VIC
torious nation by the intervention of
stronger power. Are we to be weak
like Japan? Can we contemplate for
an instant the interference of any
power that shall abridge the majesty
and glory laid at our feet by the incom-
parable Dewey? I say Never There
fore, you may quote me just as strong
ly as you can as saying: More battle
ships, and after that, more cruisers and
battleships again. The men will step
forward as fast as we can build the
ships
1.-The Asiatic situation Is one that
deeply concerns us. If we are outwitted
there we must at once prepare for the
defense of our Western coast line from
the same aggressions that have hum
bled the Oldest empire on earth in the
eyes of modern civilization"