Omaha daily bee., 1898-05-22
SECRETARY LONG AT HISDESK
Personal Sketch Of the Man at the Head Of
Oar Sea Forces.
STOOD FOR PEACE WITH THE PRESIDENT
Every Inch n Fighting Man Now
Stirring Wartime Work In
the Navy DepH rtment at
y Washington.

John Davis Long, the head OF our fight
ing navy, is one Of the leading figures OF
the hour. Around the hotels in washing
ton they are inclined to poke little fun
at Mr.. Long as being essentially man
of peace and good will, who has suddenly
woke up to find himself in the very front
Of a fighting nation. The gossips tell you
that Mr.. Long Is the president OF the peace
society, and that war is about the last
thing in the world with which he Is really
in sympathy. As matter of fact, Mr.. Long
is not the president Of the peace society,
and never was. The story is probably based
on the fact that during the Anglo Venezu-
Ian episode he did attend a meeting OF the
friends OF peace on that particular occa-
sion, and did speak In sense favorable
to the adjustment OF that difficulty with
England without recourse to arms.
However much Mr.. Long may be for
peace on general principles, 1t Is quite GER
tain that he has been all the time actively
pushing forward the increase OF our new
navy, and that the excellent condition In
which our naval forces are found, now that
the actual pinch of war is on. is in large
measure due to the energy with which ne
has conducted the department ever since
he became its head. There was passage
in Mr.. Longs last report, made In Novem-
a
of his view of war generally, and Of the
part which he considers our navy has to play
in maintaining the honor and interests OF
the nation. Mr. Long says in that report.
"Our remoteness from foreign powers, the
genius OF our institutions and the devo-
tion of our people to education, commerce
and industry, rather than to any policy that
involves military entanglements, make war
TO be thought of only as last resort in
defense OF our rights, and our military and
naval establishments as a peace force for
the preservation Of order and never for ag-
gression. While all this is therefore, an
earnest Of peace as the normal condition OF
our national life, there is no question Of the
necessity the wisdom and the economy, to
the same end, of an effective navy, in view
Of the vast extent of our coast and the pos
sibility of attack from the sea upon our
great cities, where the concentration Of pop
ulation and property is enormous"
Earnestly for Peace.
Mr.. Long was entirely in accord with
President Mckinley throughout the diplo-
matte negotiations with Spain which were
finally cut short by the action Of congress
That is equivalent to saying that he would
have liked to have seen Cuba gain her in.
dependence without the firing of gun by
the United States. IL that had been possible
But now that the war has come, there /.
no man in the country more in earnest t
see 1t pushed to a speedy and successful con
clusion than Secretary Long. Moreover
there is no man in the country who has dom
more vigorous work toward making that con
.clusion possible.
A very close friend Of the secretary's re
ports him to me as saying in n recent con
versation: "Of course l was and am yer.
earnestly for peace always, and did thin
that II the president could have been give
little time, the result would have been tn
independence Of Cuba without a war. How
ever, war has now come, and 1t is useless t
speculate further on what might have been