Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-07
WE NEED MORE WARSHIPS
Admiral Sampson Points Out Lessons
Taught by Late War.
Americas New Interests Abroad Inn
peratively Demand a Greater
Navy.

The New York Independent this week will
contain the following article by Rear Adj
miral Sampson on 1.-The United States
Navy"
II have long believed that the navy of the
United States is not adequate to the needs
of the nation, and in spite of our victories,
the events of the past year have tended
strongly to confirm the view 1 held before
the war began. For an army increase l fail
to see the necessity. 1t is hardly conceiv-
able that We could use a large army, ex-
cept for wars of foreign conquest, which
the sentiment of our country would not
permit. No power except Great Britain
could hope to attack us successfully upon
the land No two powers combined could
hope to effect anything against us by send
ing an army to this country. France and
Germany could accomplish little or nothing
against us by means of their armies. They
have not the necessary naval basis on our
coast; they have not the coaling stations;
they have not the type of ships that must
be had to transport large army long
distance and attempt military operations
on q large scale.
Protected by the Ocean.
Three thousand miles of water protect
us from all except one possible enemy
Great Britain-who has Of late shown most
Enthusiastically that she desires permanent
peace and the closest friendship. I am ex-
tremey glad to see it. Her attitude is all
that could be desired. I do not believe that
there is any room for doubt as to the good
faith of the English. They really wish our
friendship and are prepared to make sacrl-
fees to secure it.
Foreign armies, therefore, do not con-
sttute danger to this country. The pos
sible wars which confront US are naval
wars, and in order to wage them success
fully need more ships. l believe we
should have at least twice as many ships
as our navy at present contains. Whether
not We desire to have it So the war has
made a great change in our position among
the nations. They have gained new estl-
mate of us and have put us in the front
rank of the powers whose voices decide
questions 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 responsible of such a position. We
have great interests in the Pacific ocean
and must be prepared to cope with any
who are disposed to deny us our rights
there. To safeguard our interests, to main
tain our position, to speak with the author
ity 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 that is large enough for all our needs,
then those victories will have done US harm
instead of good
Favors Harbor Defenses.
IT believe in harbor defenses. Every i'm
portant harbor on the coast should possess
its own local defenses which only the most
determined of the enemy could overcome.
THE record of our navy in the late war
can hardly be considered other than Won
derful. 1t certainly made great impress
sion on foreign naval authorities, ana
caused them to give up many false ideas
W thew long
They used to say that our navy was with
out discipline and was made UP or a
hodge podge of foreigners, who could not
be depended upon to stand by the Ameri-
can flag in any emergency That criticism
Is now pretty well disposed Of. AS mat
ter of fact there never was anything in It,
1t was no more true of the American navy
that fought the war with Spain than 1t
was true of the American navy that fought
in the civil war. The navy has always
been loyal, and has done Its duty AS to
discipline | think events have answered
criticism on that point Fighting a nation
which on paper appeared to equal us in
naval strength, we totally destroyed its
principal fleets without suffering the loss
of more than half a dozen men, Our ac-
curacy of fire has astonished all foreign ex-
perts. Our ships when put to any extra
ordinary test always surpassed expecta-
tons as in the case of the Oregons long
run. What need, then, is there to defend
the discipline Of the American navy? The
facts are eloquent and adequate. The bat
tie of Manila, for instance, showed the per-
lection of discipline.
Nelson's Victory Was Costly.
Nelson destroyed the French fleet, but
he lost many men and some ships. The
scar on the Baltimore is the only physical
evidence that the foe attacked by Dewey
carried arms Standing off at a distance
and coolly planting blow after blow, Dewey
or Of
minimum Of expenditure. Surely that gives
evidence of the very highest order of dis
cipline Nor is 1t true, either, to allege
that foreigners fill our navy, and that we
cannot get Americans to serve on our
ships.
More and more Americans are mastering
in the fOrecastle, many of them native born
and the others naturalized citizens. BY
help of the late war, foreigners have dis
covered in the American navy many vir
tues, the existence Of which there they
never suspected. They are ready to con-
cede now that, SO far as it goes, ship for
ship, it is quite as good as any upon earth.
But with the revelation of these virtues,
which we know all about, comes also the
revelation of defects, and it becomes us to
take note of them.
I'VE 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, and that greater speed and coal ca
pacity must be secured, even though 1T be
necessary to sacrifice some armor thick
ness in order to secure them Our need of
swift armored cruisers transcends other
naval needs.
The present is good time to press the
needs of the navy on the country, which
will be soon quivering from end to end
with the emotions produced by the recep-
ton of the hero of Manila. The extraor-
binary and widespread disposition to do
him honor can scarcely be otherwise than
pleasing to all officers of the navy. No
man could possibly have done more thor
oughly than Dewey what he set out to do
and that is the test His fame is secure
The future will certainly place him very
high among the naval heroes of the world
rn