The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-08


by Lieutenant w. G. Mayer, OF Water
Vile, N. Y, Formerly of the United
States Navy.
GP HE old eternal truths are still the
truths of today. Victory In the
future will come as it has always
Ii come In the past to those who not
only show courage and skill In
the actual shock of conflict, but also
cool and wise forethcught in making
ready for that conflict far in advance,
one hears it often said by persons who
are prone TO mistake for thought the
repetition of aged aphorisms, that some
people intend to have peace come If they
fight for it. They imagine that they are
giving utterance to a biting and con-
elusive sarcasm, when in reality they are
stating n profound ana simple truth.
All the peace the world has ever had has
been obtained by fighting, and all the
peace that any nation which Is neither
subject nor trivial car ever have is by
readiness to fight if attacked. Weak
ness and fear and defenselessness mean
war and dishonOr. Readiness, prepara-
tion and courage mean honor and peace.
And, therefore, l say to you do not let
the people close their eyes to the necessi-
ties of the case. Keep up the agitation
and interest in the matter We must
keep the subject prominently before us.
We need more ships, more dry docks,
more arnor more guns, more officers,
more men.
During the last session of congress,
notwithstanding the glorious work which
had been done by the navy during the
war, the great and seemingly insur-
mountable difficulties which had been ex-
peIienced in getting sufficient ships for
the war, and the general feeling through
| a
reorganizing this service, its affairs re-
ceived but scant attention at the hands
of congress. The cnly important measure
besides the appropriation bill advocated
by the service and passed by congress
was the naval personnel bill. and that
was so amended and changed that it does
| not answer the purpose for which 1t was
| intended. The armor plate bill, the bill
| for new ships, were both cut down so
| they fail to accomplish the plans of the
| department. Only last week the Navy
| department purchased 2.300 tons of armor
| plate for four monitors and a small guam
| tity for three battleships-3S tons for Cac h
| ship. This is simply in order that the
| work of rivcting on these plates may
| proceed and the completion of the Vcs-
| sells be no longer delayed. The main is
sue. however<of supplying plates for the
| side armor of these vessels and three
others authorized last winter cannot be
| settled until congress again takes the
question under advisement. Until an
agreement is reached as to the price to
| be paid there Is no expectation that any
of the six battleships building and au-
| thorized can possibly be completed.
The bill for national naval reserve
of officers and men, which / regard as
one of the most desirable of them all
| for, as its title shows, II proposes to pro-
vide reserve force which can be called
| on in case of war and is composed of sea
farng men who will be obliged to take
| at least a two weeks training on board
a man of war and under regular officers
every year, and is under the national
authority as much as the regular estab.
lishment-this bill was not even con-
sidered, the excuse being that there was
not sufficient time, And so with the bill
for additional dry docks, and on yes.
terday | read an article from the En-
gneer, copied by the Army and Navy
Journal, which puts this matter in its
proper light and in so much better Ian
guage than l have at command that
take the liberty of quoting II in its en-
tirety: zone point the United States
has signally failed in or omitted tc
reckon at it's value The docking accom-
mediation in the government yards is
practically at present of no value what
| ever, ana ndu the country Deen ODlReO
to meet a really formidable enemy a sea
recently, instead of the effcte, badly
armed and indifferently fought vessels
OF the Spanish navy, in the case of a
mishap with one of her large battleships
II is quite possible that the injured YES
sci might have gone down for want of a
dry dock to put her in. The three
private ship building yards Of the United
States are rather better off in this re.
spect, but they are still wretchedly pro,
vided with large dry docks. and 1t wa:
fortunate for the American naval depart
ment that they had not 10 fall back upor
private yards for docking accommoda
tions last year" And the sting OF thi.
criticism is in the fact that It is true.
o.
| say we must not let the people close
their eyes 10 the necessities OF the case
Remember that It takes years to bulC
and equip plants and foundries with IA
cilities for making the ordnance and tn,
armor of today. We are forced to do 4
a little at a time, and therefore forced 4
keep everastiEgly at il. Peace is tn,
time for preparation for war, and oul
next war Is not likely TO he with Spain
We cannot all he honored by seats I'm tn,
council halls OF the nation, where oul
voices raised in the furtherance OF thii
object would be heard by thousands an,
tens of thousands, yet none so humbl,
but what he has an influence and powe
to continue the intelligent and patriot,
discussion and agitation OF this subjec
and II must bear fruit, for II is common
sense-ordinary business sense. love o