The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-07

stAndns oa slIB<lupo a -. -
hotel in Waskingbom cdt ooen1
tall, thin man, carrying 21AxReDult o3s&
walked out and got on the street cur for
the railway station ON his way 20 lam
pa. 1t was John Jacob Astor. the DOS
SCISSOR or xlUo, ,00O, 600. Theodore Roose-
velt's rough riders contain number cf
the smartest young men in New York
society A Harvard olassmate of mine,
. rising young lawyer. is working like
o iaborer at the Brooklyn navy yard,
not knowing when he may be ordered to
Cuba or Manila. He is naval reserve
man and sent in his application for any
post from the stokehole upward. -
And all this be 1t remembered, is for q
war In which the country is not in the
remotest danger and when the ultimate
summons of patriotism is unspoken.
The lesson they have learned is that
patriotism alone will not fight battles.
How far will that lesson carry them?
Will it build upa great army and navy?
The question requires a twofold answer.
In the United States there is a curious
antipathy to b large standing army.
The masses Of the people dread such a
Capitalization of power. Nothing ex-
cites more hostility than the employ-
,nent Of federal troops to settle state
difficulties: witness the outcry when
President Cleveland sent regulars TO
quell labor disturbances in Chicago. 1t
is feared that large standing army
might lead TO aggressive campaigns
abroad, but hundredfold greater is the
fear that it might become an instru-
ment Of oppression at home. So strong
is this sentiment that the army will
assuredly not be increased to any great
extent. Hitherto its strength has been
nominally $4,000 men-actually per-
haps 5000. Congress has recently au-
thorized total of 1000, tiny force
for 20, 600, 600 people, according to Eu-
repean standards.
With the navy, however, the case is
different. It cannot be used by the ex-
ecutive for oppression at home; the
need of it for defense is universally rec.
ognized. Il has always been the popu-
lar arm; IL has covered itself with
glory during the war. The fear Of an
aggressive policy, 1t Is true, has infiu-
enced past naval estimates also. IL has
always been easy to get money for coast
defense ships apd difficult TO get it for
seagoing battleships and cruisers. But
this will be less the case now that
America has possessions oversee. AL
ready one significant fact has shown
what may be expected. Not only was
the last naval vote by far the largest
since the rebellion, but congress posi-
lively made great additions to the ship
building recommended by the naval
committees course with
out parallel in American history. The
official recommendation was for one
and four torpedo boats; what
authorized ON May were
shree battleships, OF IL, 500 tons; four
Of 2,700 TONS for harbor de-
'ense; 16 torpedo boat destroyers, of 400
tons; l2 torpedo boats, Of 150 tons,
md one gunboat to replace the Michi-
gan upon the lakes, if an arrangement
With Great Britain permitting this is
cached. The bids for all these ships are
% be opened in August and September.
have compiled the following table,
ships afioat, building and
authorized, including those purchased
or this war, one Of these not yet launch /
d at Armstrong; to show that pow
rful American navy is already an ao- |
fact: