Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1898-01-21
WARSHIP ON THE LAKES.
Why Commander Rush Favors Sue.
cessOr to the Michigan.

The proposition to build a modern
naval cruiser for duty in patrolling the
great lakes in place of the antiquated
Michigan, is again theoretically agitat-
ed in the navy department and strong
pressure is being brought to bear on
congress for an appropriation and the
requisite authority, says the New York
Tribune. The plan has been set in
motion by Commander Richard Rush
OF the frigate Michigan. who is in
Washington for examination for pro-
motion, which he successfully passed.
tie is the grandson of that Richard
hush who was secretary of the treas
ury from 1926 TO 1929. after having
been encouragement from 1914 to
1917, and who is famous for having
made the Rush-Bagot arrangement for
the limitation of the British and
American naval forces on the great
lakes. Commander Rush, with the eX-
perience of long cruise in command
OF the only warship in these waters,
mas not proposed to abrOgate the con-
vention made by his distinguished an
cestOr, but he is none the less reso-
lutte in his belief that conditions have
changed materially since 1917 and that
a fairer distribution of the defense
work of the government to afford pro-
lection to vast inland commerce and
municipal wealth is not only advisable
but essential to the common welfare.
In long talks with Secretary Long and
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt, Mr..
Rush gave those officials considerable
valuable information regarding the re-
markable awakening of naval interests
IN the ports visited by the Michigan,
due, in measure to the excellent eX-
hibition of the Illinois, Michigan and
OHIO naval militia battaliOnS, which
equal similar organizations on the sea
coast as military auXiliaries. New di-
visions of the state maritime reserves
are in process of formation at Buffalo,
Milwaukee and other points, while
those at Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland
and Toledo are rapidly growing in
strength and efficiency. The men en-
listed in these divisions Of the auXil-
larry would prove Invaluable in time
OF trouble, not by assimilation into
the regular service, but as an adjunct
to the army and navy. But in addi-
ton to this Mr.. Rush says that all the
maritime, commercial and other pa
triOtic people in the states bounded by
the lakes are enthusiastic for adequate
naval protection to the enormous in
terestS amassed in the last twenty
years, and it is extremely humiliating
to be compelled to place all their hope
upon a single old side-wheeled cruiser,
built in sections at Pittsburg and after
transportation in sections to Erie,
launched at Erie over fifty-three years
ago. Since that time the commerce of
the lakes has surpassed that of the sea-
board, so far as American vessels are
concerned and splendid vessels, COM
parable only to the transatlantic rec
ord breakers, have become numerous,
all of them built in lake ShipyardS.
While the sole naval vessel has grown
utterly obsolete, the revenue cutter ser
vice in the same waters has been
equipped with modern, fast, steel cruis-
ers, having such refinement as torpedo
tubes, and the Canadians have built a
formidable fleet of patrol vessels with
similar appliances.