The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-29


it is really spent, as 1 said before, in
the employment of the peoples labor,
and in the purchase of the material
they have to sell, and the people get
rather more out of it than the navy
does, for they get it all back again.
Great Navy n Good Thing.
''Nor is it true as suggested in the
circular that a great navy necessarily
infiames the fighting spirit and leads
to war. If my recollection
serves me right, while Great Britain
has had troubles in Egypt, Africa and
elsewhere, she has had no conflict on
sea for many years and yet her navy
has been twice as large as that of any
Power. The recent increase in our navy
did not induce the war with Spain,
which, as things were, seems to have
been inevitable. On the other hand
it is more than likely that If in the
beginning of 1898 we had even as large
a navy as we have now, certainly as
large a one as now proposed, there
would have been no war with Spain,
and that country would have come to
terms, as she was very near coming
without battle. At that time, however,
1t was the general impression among
foreign Powers, and probably in Spain,
that her navy would blow us out of
the water"
"All the foregoing deals with the ques-
tIon OF expediency, which are the only
questions raised in the circular. But
there is a question of principle and
that question, strangely enough, the
circular does not touch. The signers,
1t seems to me, instead of raising the
question of how big the navy should
be, should have raised the question of
whether there shall be any navy at all.
This, l do not propose to argue, as
until the world moves much farther
towards the millennium it is hardly
worth while to argue it. = In
determining this question what shall
be the size of our navy, there are a
great many things to be considered,
some of which have referred to.
Should Expand Navy.
For instance, our world relations
have expanded vastly in the last three
years in territorial extent and vastly
more in international extent. 1t has
not been an extension upon the con-
tinent but upon the ocean itself and
the islands of the sea in both hemis-
pheres. Our commerce has greatly in
creased in volume and area, and our
American marine is likely to follow
suit. AS on land, so on ocean, as you
extend your commerce, so you must
expand your police force. If there is
to be a navy at all it should be COM
mensurate with all these extended re-
lations and demands. We are the rich
est nation of the world, with larger
income than any other. If, then, the
size of our navy should correspond to
our national and International
size, and IL we have the
cash on hand, 1t would seem
the simplest good business sense,
the simplest good business care Of our
own interests, to increase the navy. and
whether this shall cost $40. 900, 900 or
$75,0O0,00O or 500, 900, it is not an ex-
travagance to cut our garment accord
ing to our cloth, especially as last year
there was no appropriation for such
an increase. 1t is like the rich man
grading his expenditures to his income
and thus making it serve the general
welfare as well as his own. 1t is like
having policemen enough, instead of
having a number so limited that the
roughs are tempted to riot. There GER
tainly is a heap of comfort in feeling
that if millions are now spent for the
navy, the money is in the till to spend.
1t is a case where the people can have
their cake and eat it, too; they can
have their ships and they can have
building them.
"I will not pursue the topic further,
but a United States naval vessel car
rying our flag into the ports and har-
bors of the world is something more
than a fighting machine. 1t means
relations with those ports: ii means an
awakening and lively respect there fol
our country; ii means recognition of
the outreach of our civilization, conn
merce and influence; it means just
what would be meant, If a fine rep
resentative of New York or Boston,
carrying her prestige. exploiting her
the Union"
c. H. Spencer spoke of the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition, saying:
"There is no part of this country or
any country that can be compared
with it's growth and development dur
ing the last hundred years with the
possible exception of the states lying
between the Alleghanies and the Mis-
sissippi Had this. Louisiana Territory
become an independent power. it would
no doubt to-day have ranked in all re-
spects as a first-class Power. and
while it's population would have been
less than the great Powers Of Europe,
1t would have excelled them in wealth,
energy, enterprise and industry"
Lieut.. Gov. Lee responded to the
toast 1.-THE Sponsor" He spoke In be-
half of naval and commercial expan-
sion.