The Saint Paul globe., 1899-06-07

america Has Taken a Stem That Hoa
Placed Her In Ranks of Power.
That Must Be Armed to the TeetI,
to Protect Interests Constantly
Threatened by Other Nations-
Land Forces Not Important.
NEW YORK, June 6.-The Independent
th1s week will contain an article by Rear
ADMIRAL Sampson on 1.-THE United States
Navy" in which he says:
L have long believed that the navy
OF the United States is now inadeouata
10 the needs Of the nation, and in spite
OF our victories the events of the past
year have tended strongly to confirm the
views had before the war began. II
is hardly conceivable that we could ,1sa
a large army except for wars of foreign
conquest, which the sentiment Of our
country would not permit No power ex-
cept Great Britain could hope to attack
US successfully upon the land. No two
powers combined could hope TO effect
anything against us by sending an army
10 this country. Three thousand miles
or water protects us from all except one
possible enemy-Great Britain, who has
OF late shown Enthusiastically that she
desires permanent peace and 4 close
friendship. Her attitude is all that could
be desired. do rot believe there Is any
room for doubt on the sincerity of Great
Britain. They desire our friendship
Foreign armies, therefore, do not con-
stitute a danger to this country. The
possible wars which confront us are ma
val wars, and in order to wage them
successfully We need more ships 1 be-
lieve that we should have at least twice
as many ships as our navy at present
contains. Whether or not we desire to
nave 1t so the war has made a great
change In our position among the ma
tons. They have gained a new estimate
OF US and have put US in the front rank
OF the powers whose voices decide ques-
tions of world politics. At the same
time we have greatly extended our coast
line and have undertaken the government
OF large and distant territories. We have
become an Asiatic power and cannot
eVade the responsibilities of such a posi-
ton. We have great interests in the
Pacitic ocean and must be prepared to
cope with any who are opposed to deny
our rights there To safeguard our in
terests, to maintain our position. to
speak with authority that becomes us.
We need ships, and still more ships
IF our easy victories over the fleets
OF a weak naval power fill our people
with the belief that we have now a navy
large enough for all our needs, then those
victories will have done us harm in
stead of good I believe in harbor de-
lenses. Every important harbor on the
coast should possess it's own local de-
lenses, which no attack of the enemy
could overcome
we have much still to learn about
modern warships. They are as yet in
the experimental stage. My own idea is
that the naval increase should be made
by the building of more vessels of the
New York type, that greater speed and
coal capacity must be secured even
though it be necessary to sacrifice armor
thickness in order to secure them Our
need of safe armored cruisers transcends
other naval needs. The present is a good
time to press the needs of the navy upon
the country, which will soon be culver
ing from end to end with the emotions
produced by the reception of the hero
OF Manila. The extraordinary and wide
spread disposition to do him honor can
scarcely be otherwise than pleasing to
all officers of the navy. No man could
possibly have done moro thoroughly than
Dewey what he set out to do, and that
is the test His fame Is secure"