Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1901-12-05

that our negotiations on this subject with
Great Britain, conducted both sides in a
spirit OF friendliness and mutual good will
and respect have resulted in my being able
to lay before the Senate a treaty which II
ratified will enable us to begin preparations
for an Isthmian canal at any time. and which
guarantees to this nation every right that
IL has ever asked in connection with the
canal. In this treaty, the old Clayton-Bul-
to supply the base for the construction and
maintenance of a necessarily American ship
canal, is abrogated. 1t specifically provides
that the United States alone shall do the
work of building and assume the RESPONSE
bility of safeguarding the canal and shall
regulate its neutral use by all nations on
terms of equality without the guaranty or
interference OF any outside nation from any
quarter. The signed treaty will at once be
laid before the Senate. and If approved the
Congress can then proceed to give effect to
the advantages 1t secures US by providing for
the building OF the canal
pie should be self-respecting peace; and this
nation most earnestly desires sincere and
cordial friendship with all others Over the
entire world, of recent years. wars between
the great civilized powers have become less
and less frequent. Wars with barbarous
smi-barbarous peoples come in an entirely
different category, being merely most re-
grettable but necessary international police
duty which must be performed for the sake
of the welfare of mankind. Peace can only
be kept with certainty where both sides wish
to keep 1t; but more and more the civilized
peoples are realizing the wicked folly of war
and attaining that condition OF Just and
intelligent regard for the rights Of others
which will in the end as we hope and be-
lieve, make worldwide peace possible. The
peace conference at The Hague gave definite
expression to this hope and belief and mark
ed stride toward their attainment.
The Monroe Doctrine.
This same peace conference acquiesced in
our statement of the Monroe doctrine
compatible with the purposes and aims of
the conference.
1.-THE Monroe doctrine should be the car
dinal feature of the foreign policy Of all the
nations of the two Americas, as it is of the
United States The doctrine is a declara-
ton that there must be territorial ag-
grandizement by any non-American power at
the expense OF any American power on Amer
lean soil. 1t is in no wise intended as hostile
to any nation in the old world. Still less is
it intended to give cover to any aggression
by one new world power at the expense of
any other. 1t is simply step, and long
step, toward assuring the universal peace of
manent peace on this hemisphere
This doctrine has nothing to do with the
commercial relations OF any American power,
save that 1t in truth allows each of them to
form such as it desires. In other words, 1t
is really guaranty OF the commercial in
dependence of the Americas. We do not ask
under this doctrine for any exclusive COM
mercial dealings with any other American
state We do not guarantee any state against
punishment if it misconducts itself. pro-
vided that punishment does not take the
form of the acquisition Of territory by any
non-American power.
Our attitude in Cuba is a sufficient guar
anty of our own good faith. We have not
the slightest desire to secure any territory
at the expense OF any Of our neighbors We
wish TO work with them hand in hand, SO
that all of us may be uplifted together, and
we rejoice over the good fortune of any of
them, gladly hail their material prosper
ity and political stability. and are concerned
and alarmed If any Of them fall into indus
trial or political chaos. We do not wish to
see any old world military power grow up on
this continent, or to be compelled to become
a military he 0f
the Americas can prosper best If left to work
our their own salvation in their own way.
Powerful Navy Urged.
The work Of upbuildng the navy must be
steadily continued. Whether we desire it or
not, we must henceforth recognize that we
have international duties no less than inter-
national rights. Even IL our flag were haul
ed down in the Philippines and Porto Rico.
even il we decided not to build the Isthmian
canal, we should need a thoroughly trained
navy of adequate size, else be prepared
definitely and for all time to abandon the
idea that our nation is among those whose
sons go down to the in ships. Unless
our commerce is always to be carried in for
eign bottoms, we must have war craft to
protect II.
so far from being in any way provoca-
ton to war, an adequate and highly trained
navy is the best guaranty against war, the
cheapest and most effective peace insurance.
The cost of building and maintaining such
navy represents the very lightest premium
for insuring pace which this nation can
possibly pay.
Probably no other great nation in the
world is so anxious for peace as we are.
There is not single civilized power which |
has anything whatever to fear from ag-
gressiyeness on our part. All We want is |
peace: and toward this end we wish to be
able to secure the same respect for our |
rights in return, to insure fair treatment to |
us commercially, and to guarantee the safety |
of the American people.
"Our people intend to abide by the Mon |
roe doctrine and to insist upon it as the one |
sure ans OF securing the peace of the |
western hemisphere The navy oilers us the |
only means Of making our insstence upon |
the Monroe doctrine anything but a sub |
ject Of derision to whatever nation chooses |
to disregard it. We desire the peace which |
comes of right to the just man armed; |
not the peace granted on terms of ignominy |
to the craven and the weakling
1T is not possible to improvse a navy |
after war breaks out The ships must be |
built and the men trained long in advance. |
dealt the decisive blows at Manila and San |
tiago had been launched from two to four |
teen years, and they were able to do as they |
did because the men in the coming towers, |
the gun turrets and the engine rooms had |
through long years of practice at sea learned |
how to do their duty.
secured us the overwhelming triumph of 1898. |
If we fail to show forethought and prepara- |
aster will befall US instead of triumph: and |
should this time come. the fault will rest |
primarily, not upon those whom the acci- |
dent of events puts in supreme command at |
the moment. but upon those who have failed |
to prepare in advance.
There should be cessation in the work |
of completing our navy. 1t is unsafe and |
unwise not to provide this year for several |
additional battleships and heavy armored |
cruisers, with auxiliary and lighter craft in |
proportion; for the exact numbers and char
aeter 1 refer you to the report Of the Secre-
tary of the Navy But there is something we /
need even more than additional ships, and |
this is additional officers and men. To pro-
vide battleships and cruisers and then lay |
them up. with the expectation Of leaving |
oI Nt.o.r I1I t.,
actual war, would be worse than folly; it |
would be crime against the nation.
ITO send any warship against competent
enemy unless those aboard it have been |
trained by years of actual service, in
Guiding incessant gunnery practice, would be |
to invite not merely disaster but the bitter
additional seamen and one thousand addi-
tional marines should be provided: and an
by making large addition to the classes at
Annapolis
Our Present Naval Force.
I'VE now have seventeen battleships ap-
propriated for, Of which nine are completed |
and have been commissioned for actual serv- |
ice. The remaining eight will be ready in
from two to four years, but it will take at
least that time to recruit and train the men
to fight them. 1t is of vast concern that we
have trained crews ready for the vessels by
the time they commissioned. Good ships
and good guns are simply good weapons. and
the best weapons are useless save in the
hands of men who know how to fight with
them. The men must be trained and drilled
under a thorough and well-planned system
of progressive instruction, while the recruit
ing must be carried on with still greater
vigor.
1.-The naval militia forces are state organi-
atoms. and trained for coast service, and
in event OF war they will constitute the inner
line of defense. They should receive hearty
from the general government
But in addition We should at once pro-
vide for National Naval Reserve, organized
and trained under the direction of the Navy
Department, and subject to the call of the
Chief Executive whenever war becomes immi-
nent. 1t should be real auxiliary to the
naval seagoing peace establishment, and Of
fer material to be drawn on at once for
manning our ships in time of war. 1t should
be composed OF graduates of the Naval Acad-
envy, graduates of the Naval Militia, officers
and crews of coast-line steamers longshore
schooners. fishing vessels and steam yachts,
together with the coast population about
such ceuters as life-Saying stations and light