The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-14
PLEA FOR THE NAVY
Former Assistant Secretary
McAdoo's Address to
the Cosmos Club.
NEGLECTED BY THE COUNTRY
The More Ships We Have the
Better Our Prospects
of Peace.
NEGLECTED BY THE COUNTRY

Former Assistant Secretary of the
Navy, William McAdoo addressed the
members of the Cosmos Club and their
guests at the regular monthly meeting
and banquet of the club. held in the Ho-
tel Washington on Saturday night.
AT the guest table were:-Major q. Is.
Pangborn, President of the club; SUI
prenie Court Justices jonathan Dixon and
Gilbert Collins, Mayor Edward Hoos,
Robert S. Hudspeth, Judge of the Coun-
Sty Court; the Rev. DR.. w. s.. Grove OF
New York City. and the speaker of the
evening. ext the other tables were:-An-
drew ]. Corcoran, DR.. Talbot Chambers,
William C. Brown, DIR. Ulamor Allen,
Louis Booraem, DR.. Buffet, J.. Bowen, r.
o. Rabbit, Henry V. Condict, Frank
Bell, Mungo j. Currie. Frank o. Cole, j.
III. Cubberly, Albert /. Drayton, Thomas
NJ. Gopsill, Alfred G. Evans, Rudolph
Heike, Chauncey G.. Holt, Thomas H.
Hall, Charles n. Hartshorne, Prof. Ed
ward, John H. Hopken, Assemblyman
James P. Hall, John P. Landrine. John L..
kenar, Frederick w. Pangborn. Michael
Murray, Flavel MCGEE, George Miller,
James K. Murphy, eX-Director OF Educa-
ton William NJ. Obergfell, S. 2. Maekey,
Dr. PTot N S5erla Or. Pyle sf anmfs 3 RaS slmpn J.
Riordan. James c. Minihan. r. H. Connol-
-ay, Edward G. Sanborn. Reuben Simpson,
ii. Smith, Isaac s. Taylor, Ohm F; Mad
den, DIR. J. J. Baumann, former Assem-
blyman William, F. Drake. George PITT
William H. Wood. Daniel OsConneil,
Michael kellaher. S. B. Ellis. p. M.
Faherty, John ohlson, Cornelius Murphy,
gan, Edward H.. Hoos, w. A. Corcoran.
Director Of the Board of Freeholders
Frank MeNalnly. F.; H pu9ensT, Dr. / Iobn
IA. Walker, Thomas H.. Williams. Robert
L. Flemming, John G. Crawford and Hugh
J. Burns.
After an excellent dinner had been dis
cussed, MIR. McAdoo was introduced py
Major Pangborn. He said, in part:-"lt
is a very big subject, indeed, that | am 10
handle tonight. and one of more thaii
passing interest. 1t is the most important
subject before the people at the present
time 1t is painful for me and others %
reflect at this time on how long the puo-
lie were in coming TO pelleVe the navy
and army a serious business
1T is painful in the present crisis to re-
fleet on how we had to wiring snip AFTER
ship out of reluctant Representatives.
Our forefathers were jealous OF the min
tary. They We're afraid of a standlng
army; they were afraid of military power.
Our Constitution was widely drawn, Dut
there were some weak points IN IT, me
fathers of our country were wise III pro.
viding that Congress may in event Oh
threatened war appropriate for the army,
providing that the appropriation does not
extend over two years The same Con-
stitution declares that we snaii mal n 2
turned again the liberties OF the people
of its own country. They protect. the
coast. So they gave us a navy, but TOR a
long time it was neglected. Then Paul
Jones and other men came along and
made for US a navy! In the war OF lelz
our people met with many mlSnaps our
people were divided, many people being OPP
posed to our going TO war with Great Brl-
tain. In 1910 one of the strongest men IN
Congress said he would go further to burn
the navy than to put the fire out. Silp-
shod methods were allowed, and the nay
went to pieces. But in spite OF this Perry,
on the lakes. with the brave men who
gathered about him, made history with
the navy-the splendid victories of Perry
and the splendid fighting of our navy,
IF the Constitution made the United
States a nation, we were not a nation I'M
til the great naval victories of 1872. We
had no seat at the council boards OF the
nations. Our regal seat was left vacant.
Again the navy was allowed to iangulsn.
1t was good. but it was not one-tenth the
size it ought to be. When the civil war
came it found us with men over age IN
command. That is true largely, today
Here we were in the face of other ma
tions. our country rent in twain and with
no proper means of defence. Every. time
a nation has to improvise what It should
have had repaired it costs millions OF
dollars and thousands of lives, whereas
wise preparation would prevent such
sacrifice. In spite of our other plumbers
we had founded two of the best military
schools in the world and we had trained
military men to fall back on. These
schools have paid for themselves and have
saved the nation millions of dollars
THE academy at annapolis produced
F~arragut. What did the navy do under
him? 1t starved the South to DEATH,
went up inaccessible rivers and blocked
every port. From that war emanated
the modern battleship. Ericsson built
the monitor. Out of the genius of two
great peoples. in the North and the
South, came the Merrimac and the Mont
tor. At the close of the war we had a
real navy. We had $4,000 enlisted men
and a large number of ships. But other
a lapse. We never learned the art Qf
building iron ships, but continued to use
the old wooden affairs which had been
which our wise Congressman thought
good enough for US. Congress, in its
easy-going American way, forgot the
thing because it did not present itself at
the bank as a note to be paid. Our naval
officers felt Inundated going into foreign
ports in the old oak-sided, painted ships.
Some very honest naval critics who were
jealous of the military, insisted that there
was no need of a larger or better navy,
while others said that We were civilized
and must do away with barbarous war.
II WE admit that force IS an element in
civilization-and we 'must-the greater the
force the greater the civilization.
"I1have the greatest sympathy for the
milhium people and believe that it will
come. but not for a long while. Force to-
day is the most potent factor in c~iviliza-
ton. The nation that is not able to en-
force its rights when assailed has de-
generated. People say Let us resort to
diplomacy The United States is lily
fitted to indulge in diplomacy. They s-eak
of US in Europe as the shirt-sleeve dlplo-
mats. Perhaps there is a great deel of
truth in what they say. We have still a
little touch of the bear and the Indian in
us. in other words, we have a great deal
of virulitx
Let us leave our coasts unprotected
and trust to the keen game of diplomacy
and we will lose the game. If we do not
back it up with sufficient force we will
merely play into the hands of our enem-
les. When re go to the Courts Of
Europe to play at diplomacy we must
remember that we are with our enemies.
Our Republican government is a menace
to their monarchial systems. We should
ave diplomats, but we should also have
a trained body of men to back US up.
When a man here works for a navy the
people say he is a jinjo. They say with
horror that Roosevelt or McAdoo will stop
s Wall street if they are not stopped. [
don't think a man should be called a
lingo because he wants to be prepared
to give the best judge of peace by being
able to fight. Wouldn't we have had war
a year ago when our fiery men in Con-
gress insulted in their brilliant speeches,
nearly every nation on earth, If it had
not been for our navy.
eOnee of these men expressed his
sympathy for some poor oppressed people
49, - Nj aAA