The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-30
SENATOR DAVIS ON WAR
DISTINGUISHED MINNESOTAN
TALKS OF AMERICAN vALOR

O4O11NOU 1OdEU M1N IN ESU1AN
TALKS OF AMERICAN vALoR
50
Tremendous responsibilities That
Must he Met in the Future-Fa-
vors Preparing for War in Time
| of Peace-Must Build Cruisers
and Battleships, Then More Bat
tleships and More Cruisers.
| NEW YORK, Aug. 29-"The Ameri-
can people are aglow with patriotic
ferVor, and the utmost calmness is
necessary in considering our future
course" said United States Senator
Cushman K. Davis, before leaving thia
city for his home to prepare for his
Journey to Paris as one Of the five
commissioners to arrange the final
terms of peace between the victorious
| United States and defeated Spain.
Events have made US one Of the great
powers of the EARTH" he continued.
Whatever we may have desired our
selves, destiny has forced upon us re-
| sponsloliitles that we must recognize
ana accept. We have become a potent
factor in the worlds affairs A great
naval and military power we are al
! ready. We are not strong enough yet,
ana no time must he lost in equipping
| ourselves to cope with any emergency
| that may confront us. Our volunteers
are 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.
| We have an excellent beginning. Ship
| for ship we need fear nobody. But we
| must build ships with true American
| energy. Nothing must deter US. We
know that we have the men to put be-
| hind the guns. Love Of gunnery is an
| American characteristic. When we
were boys all Of us knew how to handle
| firearms. A gun is the earliest thought
of the American youth. Men are only
| grown boys. That explains our sue
| cess at Manila and Santiago"
How are we likely to be menaced in
the future?" was asked.
| Actually we are not a whit more
exposed to attack as a colonial power
| than we have been since the actual
| advent of steam power. The glorious
| victories Of our navies have brought US
new responsibilities, but the Philip
| pines 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 a few hundred square
miles Of territory by capture or treaty
does not increase our danger.
CHINA COVETED.
China is the coveted part of the
earth's surface today, but who could
have predicted six months ago that
To-
covet a foothold on the North Amer
lean 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 Pacific
ocean. It's coast has been our vulner-
able point. You understand I am on
record as favoring the retention of ter
ritory that has been acquired by the
splendid victories of our arms I am
an American citizen, speaking as SUCH
and my remarks have nothing to do
with official duties that I shall under
take on Oct. as commissioner to the
congress Of Paris. What that body
will or will not do would not predict,
If I could. I am talking of the sftua-
ton as 1T exists today and as every
American citizens can see it. The in
terests of the United States must be
| jealousy guarded from this hour on
different in the past. Think of the
Virginius massacre That was Nhe hour
/ in which we should have taught Spain
her lesson. Long years of suffering
and bloodshed would have been avoid
ed. 1t is idle to say that the Virginius
was not an American ship. Many Of
the men aboard her were American
citizens. and the ship was caught on
the hish seas. The men were shot in
cold blood, and we stood it. We endur-
ed such an outrage with Gen. Grant,
brave and true man, alt the head Of
affairs. It was not cowardfce on the
part of the American people, but it was
lethargy and Indifference that was
quite as debasing in the sight of the
world. That was what justified all
subsequent Spanish bluff and bravado.
But we have risen to new plane
to the level that we really were enti-
tied 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. The
American people have had the coura ge
of their destiny all the time. They
have never faltered.
Hereafter, tell you, the maritime.
commercial and political genius of our
people will not permit their governing
power to be Indifferent to their honor
or their progress. An outrage like that
at Santiago de Cuba-where nearly half
a hundred Americans were stood I'D
against a wall and shot-would not be
passed over today.
How do you suppose similar mas
sacre Of American citizens in Havana
would be received this afternoon? Why
our warships would be on their way to
that port by midnight. That is the
difference. And it Is WELL It Is as it
should be.
AMERICANS AROUSED.
1.-THE United States has ceased to be
the China Of the Western continent. We
are alive, thank God, and must not be
insulted by any power in this world,
great or small. That's the difference
between the United States of the 70's
and today. And isn't the change one
that ought to make every patriot glad?
Wars are inevitable-or all history is
false. Steam power has broadened
their arena. No nation is safe Japan's
triumph over China was robbed of
most of it's value to the victorious ma
ton by the Intervention Of a 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 Incompatible Dewey?
I say never Therefore you may quote
me just as strongly as you can as say
ing:
"More battleships and after that
more cruisers and battleships again.
The men will step forward as fast as
we can build the ships
Suppose that Dewey had been de-
feated at Manila? What might have
been the fate Of the Hawaiian islands
nd Ponifn