The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-18
WON'T CHANGE THE PLANS
Carleton's Refusal Doesn't Cut
Any Ice.
ASKED TO CONTRIBUTE
Montana School Children Will Be Given
an Opportunity to Help in Building
Battleshp for the United
States Navy.

|
some one to collect pennies from the
| children with which to build a great
battleship. the school children of Mon
tana are to be asked to contribute to
the fund, according to the following
from the Spokane Chronicle:
| "Undaunted by the refusal of Super
| intendent Carleton of Montana to bring
| their movement before the public
| schools of that state, the western COM
| mittee of the American Boy Battleship
| association is hard at work pushing the
| movement in all parts Of the west, for
| warding and answering letters by the
| score and getting every thing in readi-
| ness so as to have their movement in
! progress in every school under their su-
| pervision.
"A Chronicle reporter called at the
| associations office in the city hall last
night and found the members of the
| committee working as If they intended
to raise funds for whole fleet of bat
tleships The click of the typewrlters,
deftly fingered by the president, Master
Richard Vincent, and the scratching
| noise Of the pen of the general repre-
sentative, Master Roy F. Britton, as it
! scrubbed letters to senators, governors
| and congressman and minor dignitaries,
gave the office a busy appearance and
the reporter began to realize the
amount of work the Spokane boys are
doing to make the American Boy sue
cess
| The western committee deserves a
| great deal of credit for the amount of
| work it has done in bringing the move
| ment before the authorities. There
! isn't governor, senator, congressman
or superintendent who hasn't been ap-
| preached by them, while they have sent
| tn a GphDO1
| in every state under their supervision.
When asked if Superintendent Garlic
| tons refusal to act will affect the fund
| any. President Vincent said:
mo. sir; nothing that any individual
| may say or do can affect us any. OF
| course the endorsement of state super
! intendents helps us in way but if we
| cannot get their endorsements. why we
| go ahead just the same way. In the
| cities we bring our movement into the
| schools through the boards Of education
| and in the smaller towns they are
| reached through the county supern-
| tendents or the teachers themselves.
| AS to Montana, the refusal of Mr..
| Cartoons aid won't change our plans
! in the least. We have Governor Smiths
| endorsement. and we will push our
work in that state. to the best of our
| ability
What is the idea of building a bat
tleship by the children? asked the re
| porter The government is amply able
to build its own battleships
| "'Of course it is. But you under
stand the idea is to raise a fund by
| voluntary contributions from the boys
and girls of the United States, and
build and equip a battleship which is to
| be named "The American Boy" and
| present it to the government in place OF
| the Maine" 1t isn't meant as a char
table act but it is intended to illus
| trate the patriotism of the youth of this
nation and will serve as a gigantic and
impressive floating monument to the
brave men who lost their lives on the
Maine.
Just think of the effect such bat
tleship will have on foreign nations.
What despotic government will dare
encroach upon the free soil of the west
ern hemisphere when it beholds in the
rising generation of this country such
a patriotism and readiness to defend its
liberties, And as to the children of this
country it will impress their minds that
this is their country and their govern
ment and that it is their duty and Their
privilege when they become of age to
participate in the administration of its
affairs
What does the government think of
this movement? Does it approve"
Certainly it does. We have the en-
dorsement of President Mckinley, the
entire cabinet and very nearly every
one of the governors of the different
states. Here are a few of our endorse
mentS.'
Mr. Vincent handed the reporter a
large letter file which was full of let
tiers from prominent people all over the
country. Governor Smith of Montana
endorses the movement in the following
words:
Executive Office. Helena, Mont,
July 2S, 1S99-Master Richard James
Vincent, Spokane, Wash.-Dear Sir:
Your letter of the 24th lnclosng circular
outlining plan of raising fund for con-
struction of battleship American Boy
received. The object is worthy che
and would demonstrate typically the
patriotism and generosity and resources
of the youth of America. ! hope it may
be successful. Very respectfully,
ROBERT B. SMITH, Governor
Governor Thomas of Colorado, in a
letter dated July 81, says:
81 am in receipt of your letter with
accompanying circulars relating to the
proposed American Boy battleship, and
take great pleasure in endorsing the
plan. / trust you will meet every pos
sible encoura cement in your efforts to
secure the needed contributions, and
have no doubt that the boys and girls
of our state will cooperate with you to
the extent of their ability. Yours very
truly, CHARLES S. THOMAS,
Governor
How about Mr.. Carleton| asked
the reporter Are you going to answer
his letter and try to convince him"
I'VE have already done so, Mr. Brit
ton and I answered his letter this after
noon. Want a copy for the Chronicle?
I guess there is no objection, is there,
Roy?'
The reply to Superintendent Carleton
ran as follows:
Mr. E. A. Carleton. Helena, Mont
Dear Sir: Yours of the 18th at hand,
and we very much regret that you mis-
understand our movement, for we are
sure that if you We're fully informed
you would not oppose it,
What could teach patriotism more
constantly or more thoroughly than |
floating monument to the nations dead, |
and built by those who will some day |
compose the nation? 1t will furnish
noble precedent of patriotism to those |
who follow and show other nations that |
whatever our soldiers and sailors have |
done or are doing will be upheld by the |