The Iola register., 1901-12-06

the building of the isthmian canal is fast
becoming one of the matters which the
whole people are united in demanding, IL
Is imperative that our navy should be put
and kept in the highest state of efficiency
and should be made to answer to our
growing needs. So lar from being in any
way a provocation to war, an adequate
and highly-traned navy is the best guar
antee against war, the cheapest and most
eHectlVe peace insurance. The cost of
building and maintaining such a navy
represents the very lightest premium for
lnsuring peace which this nation can
possibly pay.
Anxious for Peace.
Probably no other great nation in the
world is SO anxious for peace az we are.
There is not single civilized power
which has anything whatever TO fear
from aggressiveness on our part. All we
want is peace, and toward this end we
wish to be able to secure the same re-
| spect for our rights from others which
we are eager and anxious to extend to
their rights in return, to insure fair treat
ment to us commercially and to guaran-
tee the safety of the American people.
Our people intend to abide by the Mon
roe doctrine and to insist upon IL as the
one sure means OF securing the peace of
the western hemisphere. The navy offers
US the only means of making our insist
/ ence upon the Monroe doctrine anything
but subject of derision to whatever ma
The peace which comes as of right 10 the
just man armed; not the peace granted ON
terms of ignominy to the craven and the
1t Is 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 viii do in
default of any better for the minor work,
and a proportion of raw men can be
uiNed 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 will be found
/ exclusively
/ have been regularly built and in the Off
| GERS and men who through years OF faith
/ ful performance of sea duty have been
| trained to handle their formidable but
/ complex and 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
turrets and the engine rooms had through
long years Of practice at sea learned how
/ to do their duty.
Preparation Necessary.
! our present navy was begun in 1852. At
| that period our navy consisted of a collec-
tion Of antiquated wooden ships already
/ almost as out Of place against modern
war vessels as the galleys of Alcibiades
and Hanilcar, certainly as the ships Of
Tromp and Blake. Nor at that time did
we have men fit TO handle a modern man
of-war. Under the wise legislation Of the
congress and the successful admnistra-
/ tion Of a 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-
tant, these ships were exercised at sea
/ singly and in squadrons until the men
aboard them were able to 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.
While awarding the fullest honor to the
men who actually commanded and manned
the ships which destroyed the Span
ish sea forces in the Philippines ana IN
Cuba, we must not forget that an equal
need of praise belongs to those without
whom neither blow could have been
struck. The congressman who voted for
years in advance the money to lay down
the ships. to build the guns, to buy the
armor plate, the department officials and
r the business men and wageworkers VINO
furnished what the congress had author
lied, the secretaries of the navy VINO
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
I are entitled to a full share ia the glory OF
| Manila and Santiago and the respect ac-
corded by every true American 10 lhust
/ who wrought such signal triumph Tor our
j country, II was tOretnOughl ana pitphlh-
ton which secured us the over" helmlns
thought and preparation now, there may
/ come a time when disaster Will befall us
instead of triumph, and should this ms, ume Ia,
upon those whom the accident Of events
| nuts I'm supreme command az ne moment |,
but upon those who have failed TO prepare
in advance.
Increase the Personnel.
There should be no cessation IN the
work of completing our navy. so iAr IN
genuity has been wholly unable 10 At NIss
a substitute Tor the great war cral' whose
/ hammeriug guns beat out the mastery OF
the high seas. ii Is unsafe ana uhWlst hot
TO provide this year Tor several a0oltlohal
battleships and heavy armoIeu, eFu4SSrs ,,rtl >,
portion. For the exact number ana chaF-
acter / refer you to the report of the secre-
tary of the navy. But there IS some thlLg
we need even more than additional shIbt,
and this is additional officers ana men 10
provide battleships and cruisers ah1 lhth
lay them up with the expectation OF Ieay-
ing them unnamed until they are need
ed in actual war. would be worse than
folly 1t would be a crime against the
10 send any warship against a compe-
tent enemy unless those aboard II nave
been trained by years of actual sea serV'
ice, including incessant gunnery practice,
would be TO invite not merely disaster
but the bitterest shame and humiliat ten
Four thousand additional seamen and q
thousand additional marines should be
provided, and an Increase in the ofhcers
should be provided by making a large ad-
/ QltiOn TO the classes at AnudpOllh. IhtIt
IS one small matter which should be men
toned in connection with Annapolis. The
pretentious and unmeaning title of ''nava
cadet" should be abolished; the title OF
"midshpman" full of historic associa-
tion, should he restored
Even in time OF peace a warship should
be used until it wears out, for only so car
II be kept fit TO respond to any emergency
The officers ana men alike should be
kept as Much as possible on blue water
for II is there only they can learn theii
duties as they should be learned The big
vessels should be maneuyered In squad
rons containing not merely battleships
but the necessary proportion Of cruisers
and scouts The torpedo boats should bt
handled by the younger officers in such
manner as will best fit the latter TO take
responsibility and meet the emergencies
6f actual warfare.
Use for Men and Boats.
Every detail ashore which can be per
formed by "a civilian should be so per
formed, tive officer being kept for his spe
cial duty in the sea service. Above all
gunuory practice should be unceasing, II
Is important TO have our navy OF ade
quate size. but II is even more impor
taut that, ship for ship, 1t should equa
| in eihcleNCy any navy In the world
! This Is possible only with highly drilled
aFsaN "a o. m,