The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-23
CONNECTICUT DEFENoBI Ess.
oev. Cooke On tho Need Of Eortirying the
Country aud UpbuIidinE the Navy.

oev. Cooke on tho need or Hortirying tn,
Country aud UpbuiidinE the Navy.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. Feb. 22.-Five hundred
mon Of the Connecticut Branch OF the Sons OF
the American Revolution attended tho annual
banquet OF the society hero this afternoon.
Cows. d. II. Hastings Of Pennsylvania and
Lorrin A. Cooke Of Connecticut were tho guests
OF honor. A reception was rendered to them at
noon In the Yale Art School by President Tim
othy Dwight and Dean John +. Weir. Johna.
| than Trumbull Of Norwich. a descendant OF the
Revolutionary Governors; Gen. George II. Ford.
Capt. Paxton. U. 8. A.; Prots. watrous and
Hadley Of Yale assisted in receiving. Gen. Z.
s. Greeley acted as toast master.
Gov. Cooke spoke ion /" Connecticut In the
Revolution" Ho took occasion to point to tho
defenceless condition of the Connecticut coast.
He said:
"wo do not want another war with old Eng
land. nor with France or Germany, and not even
with old Spain; but does not wisdom tell us
that before we talk or even think OF war We
should reflect that the coast of Connecticut to-
day is as defenceless almost as 1t was In the days
of the Revolution ! The same is truo substan.
TALLY of all our Atlantic and Gulf coast. ex-
Works have been commenced on Fisher Island.
and soon Long Island Sound. from the east and
from the west. will be safe. But from recent
no port or city from Maine to Galveston is not
fully fortified and protected:
should BIO built until 1t Ia abba to cope with tho
navy of any other nation under hcaveni Be-
hold tho. nations of Europe lowering around
poor, defenceless China like SO many turkey
buzZards, taking a piece here and there, snarl-
ing and growing ut each other in the fear that
ono may got u bigger portion than tho other. II
America was as unable to protect herself AS
China the same cormorant nations would DO
ready TO prey upon us. Our safety and our In
fiuonce among the nations Of the world in the
coming struggle for the trade of the world must
tect ourselves ~everywhere.'
At the dinner 1t was announced that a hand
some memorial would be Immediately erected,
patriots of West Haven who foil defending the
city from British invasion in 1912.
Gov. Hastings in his peroration referred to
tho destruction of the Maine:
We are in a troublesome hour, and the spirit
OF your fathers is sometimes stirred within you,
and you look about you. and you feel the loss,
the death of American citizens. as II each were
q bereavement that came into your household.
You gather your wife and your children about
you, and you can hardly hold yourselves from
expressing those sentiments of American loyalty
which are not complimentary to many foreign
Governments. But let me give you ono word of
caution. l ask you to remember that there
never was an emergency in this country that
Old not hnd tho man to meet that emergency.
"fsay to you this afternoon that. whatever
emergency may come upon us. We have the mon
to meet that emergency. tGreat applause.l Let
us loyalty wait. lot us remember that time Is q
healer as well as u destroyer. In our last great
conflict time was the hospital, time was tho
by the bedside Of war and nursed into strength
and beauty incompatible a nation almost di.
vided. So let peace continue to reign. lot our
love Of peace continue TO throb in our breasts,
strength. and glory to a nation, not that stupid
stupidity of mind which refuses to reflect"