The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-05-12
s,,.tv of Our Nation Lies In tho
'' Number of Our Ships Says
senator Henry Lodge.
NOTABLE SPEECH OF WARNING.
e.-nsny May Test the Monroe Doc
trine-cOast Line Must be
Fully Defended.

Tor LOuBS ~
erected By friends on both sides OF the
main aisle. He remained for a short
fine chatting with senators in the rear
Of the chamber
Al act enabling the Karluk Packing
Company to purchase certain lands ia
Alaska, was passed.
Al the conclusion Of routine business
me senate proceeded to the consIdera-
Inn Of the naval appropriation bill, the
bending question being the amendment
Of Mr.. T!llmap Is, d.. providing for a
straight price of $500 per ton for armor
and an armor plate factory to be built
by the government at a cost not to ex-
ceed 100000.
Mr.. Lodges Strong Opposition.
Mr.. Lodge, CMass.), speaking in Oppo-
.,tlon to the amendment. said that for
the past three years the senators from
south Carolina and New Hampshire
tMr, Ttlman and Mr.. Chandler) had
been endeavorlng to get armor at a low
price. The net result of their work had
beep to put a stop to the construction
Of a navy. The amendment of MFR. Till
man, he said. would absolutely stop the
building OF ships. He had no prejudice
against government armor plant In
deed, he was not at ali assured that 1t
would not have been better in the be-
ginning of the construction OF our new
navy to erect an armor plant. To stop
the building OF all ships until the armor
plant could be erected would, he
thought. be fatal mistake.
Safety Depends on Navy.
"SIy reasons for wanting more ships"
said he. "and desiring them quickly, is
ny belief that the safety of the United
States depends upon the strength Of
our navy. we do not need the navy for
the protection OF our insular posses
s!ons. The danger lies in our own great
coast line and In the defense of the
Monroe doctrine in this hemisphere. Our
Atlantic coast is studded with cities
from the gulf to northern Maine. For
the defense OF this great coast line and
these cities we have no adequate fleet.
We arr about to enter upon the con-
s,ructlon of an Isthmian canal.
Whether 1t will be better to fortlfy that
canal or not Is yet an open question.
Bu; to contro. that canal. to defend 1t,
to hold 1t open for our comerce and for
the commerce Of the world. even though
1t be against an enemy's feet. we must
be the naval masters of the Caribbean
sea-
Canal Ought to be Built.
I'VE must have FAR moro powerful
feet than we have to-day. The safety
OF the canal depends upon our fleet. All
admit that the canal ought to be built
and the time is near when the work
viii be begun. II we are to protect the
canal as wei! as our own coast we mus:
have 4 navy proportionately strong.
u hope and believe" he continued,
that we shall have no war, but n great
fleet Is the greatest Insurance Of peace.
However, we would be foolish, Indeed,
1--WE should close our eyes to the possI-
bIl!ues OF the situation. We could
never allow the Danish islands to pass
into any other hands than ours. The
European nation which should under
take to take possession OF those islands
right on the road to the canal and to
make OF them great naval stations,
would by that very act become an enc
my Of ours. We could submit to no
such thing as that. The Monroe doc
triHe is great protection to the United
States. Men Of all partles-Democrats.
Republicans and Popullsts-without
distinction. adhere to that,
May Test Monroe Doctrine.
or am by no means sure that some
European nation (perhaps one whose
navy Is now receiving such rapid liz
creasD may not test the Monroe doc
tT.He
We may be called upon 70 protect
that doctrine in Brazil or In some other
South American country. / am not
c9HigrIng up fancies, but I believe tho
way to preserve peaceis to have such a
navy as no power in the world would
care 10 encounter"
Ar Lodge did not think there was
aaya Iy who'dld not believe In the con-
f'ua,on Of a navy powerful enough to
l'#a1 our coast nuo and the Monroe
40e'rl1s That was one question upon
which tho American people were agreed.
u. wanted the navy department to be
'.a 90 proceed with the building OF
aa.loEzaI shIPs.
Too Much Time Already Lost.
ALREADY too much time had been LOST.
j. 'Ha Monroe doctrine should be rn.
alagare1 or II our coast should BE- men-
aa'4 ws gh9aid be prepared II we were
1'. prepared. he said, It would be a
weak EXCUSE that we had been engaged
lI '1rottlng nm egrogious monopoly
IF. Hfgl that no further obstacle
h1Id be placed IN tho way Of the
.y'5 construction.
.H % o9llDpgy w!t1 Mr., Lodge, Mr..
'.mnn snl If was .,ell known that the
.rF " Or United states was superior
nHat % Germany.
a' Lodge, agreeing Ia pari with Mt
I.I.MIu'K ytotpfnrnt uointnd To the