The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1901-12-06
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
From 18th psge.)

II 10 not possible to improvise a navy
after war breaks out. The ships must
be built and the men trained long in ad-
vance. Some auxiliary vessels can be
turned into makeshifts which will do in
default OF any better for the minor work.
and a proportion OF raw men can be
mixed with the highly trained. their
shortcomings being made good by the
skill OF their fellows. but the efficient
fighting force OF the navy when pitted
against an equal opponent viii be found
almost exclusively in the warships that
have been regularly built and in the off,
cers and men who Through years OF faith
ful performance OF SEA duty have been
trained to handle their formidable but
complex AID delicate weapons with the
highest efficiency. IN the late war with
spain the ships that dealt the decisive
blows at Manila and Santiago had been
launched from two to fourteen years. and
they were able to do as they did because
the men In the coming towers, the gun
t0rrets and the engine rooms had through
long years Of practice at sea learned how
to do their DUTY.
Our present navy was begun In IS6s. At
that period our navy consisted Of a coIlec-
ton 81 antiouated wooden ships already
almost as out Of place against modern
war vessels as the galieys OF Aicibiades
and Hamilcar. certeiniy as the ships Of
Tromp and Blake Nor at that time did
We have men Mt TO handle q modern man
cf-war- Under the wise legislation Of the
congress and the successful administra-
ton Of q succession of patriotic secreta-
ries of the navy belonging to both politi-
cal parties the work Of upbuilding the
navy went on. and ships equal TO any in
the world OF their kind were continually
added. and. what was even more impor-
tsnt these ships were exercised at sea
singly and IN sQuadrons until the men
aboard them were able 10 get the best
possible service out OF them. The result
was seen In the short war with Spain.
which was decided with such rapidity be-
cause Of the Infinitely greater prepared
ness Of our navy than OF the Spanish
navy.
The Part Played by Cengress
While awarding the fullest honor TO the
men who actually commanded and man
ned the ships which destroyed the Span
ISL Sea forces in the Philippines and in
Cuba. We must not FORGET than an equal
NEED OF praise belongs to those without
whom neither blow could have been
struck The Coz greSSmen who voted for
years IN advance the money 10 lay down
the ships. 10 build the guns 10 buy tn
srmcr plate. the department officials and
the business men and wageworkers who
furnished what the congress had author
lied, the secretaries or the navy who
asked for and expended the appropria-
tiOns and finally the officers who in fair
weather and foul on actual sea service
trained and disciplined The crews OF the
ships when there was no war in sight-all
are entitled TO full share in the glory Of
Manila and Santiago ana the respect ac-
corded 10y every true American 10 those
who wrought such signal triumph for our
country. Il was foret bought and prepare
tiCn which secured US the overwhelming
triumph of lSSS IL We fail 10 show fore
thought and preparation now there may
come a time when disaster VIII befau Us
instead II triumph. and should this time
come the fault viii rest primarily not
upon those whom the accident Of events
puts "a supreme command at the moment
hut upon those VINO have failed to prepare
ia advance
There should be no cessation in the
worS II completing our navy. SO far IN
EenLiJt has been wholly unable to devise
a substitute for the great war craft whose
haUmering suns beat out the mastery OF
the hi-h seas II i unsafe and unwise not
- provide this year fer several additional
hattleshIus ana heavy a-mored cruisers.
with auxiliary ana lighter craft In pro-
portion. FOR the exact numbers and char
Hcter refer you 10 the report Of the secre-
tary u the navy But there is something
We need even more chan additional ships
and this is additional officers and men. To
provide battleShips and cruisers and then
lay them ND. with the expectation Of leav-
ing them unnamed until they are needed
a. actual war. woaid be worse than folly.
IL would be crime against the nation.