The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-04

doctrine anything put a subject of de-
rision to whatever nation chooses TO
disregard it. We desire the peace
which comes as of right to the just
man armed; not the peace granted on
terms Of ignOminy to the craven and
the weakiing.
IT is not possible TO improvise a navy
after war breaks out. The ships must
be built ana the men trained long IN
ADVANCE. Some auxiliary vessels can
be turned into makeshifts which wiz
a. ~ default 3f any better for the
minor work, and q proportion of raw
men can be mixed with the highly
trained. their shortcomings being made
good " the skill of their fellows; but
she Efficient fighting force of the navy
when pitted against an equal opponent
VIII be found almost exclusively in the
war ships that have bsen regularly
built and in tbs officers and men who
through years OF faithful performance
of sea duty have been trained to
handle their formidable but complex
and delicate weapons with the highest
efficiency.
Victory Due to the Me,.
In the late war with Spain the ships
that dealt the decisive blows at Manila
and Santiago had been launched from
u e
able TO DO as they did because the men
in the coming towers the gun turTets,
and the engine rooms mad through long
years OF practice at sea learned how To
do their duty.
Our present navy was begun in 1882.
AT that period our navy consisted of
a collection of antiquated wooden
ships. already almost as out Of place
against modern war vessels as the gal
leys of Alcibiades and Hamilcar-cer-
fainly as the ships of Tromp ard
Blake. Nor at that time did we have
men fit to handle q modern man-of-
war.
Under the wise legislation of the con-
gross and the successful administra-
ton Of succession of patriotic secre-
taries Of the navy, belonging TO both
political parties. the work of ypbuid-
ing the navy went on, and ships equal
TO any in the world Of their kind were
continually added and what was even
more important, these ships were eX-
ercised at sea siEgly and in sQuadrons
until the man 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 because of the in
f1nitely greater preparedness of our
navy than of the Spanish navy.
Praise for Naval Heroes.
While awarding the fullest honor to
the men who actually commanded and
manned the ships which destroyed the
Spanish sea forces in the Philippines
and in Cuba, we must not forget that
an equal need of praise belongs to
those without whom neither blow
could have been struck. The congress
men Who voted years in advance the
money to lay down the ships, to build
the guns. to buy the armor-plate; the
department officials and the business
men and wage-workers who fur
nished what the congress had author
izedi the secretaries of 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 a full
share in the glory Of Manila and San
tiagO, and the respect accorded by
every true American to those who
wrought such signal triumph for our
country. II was fOrethOUght and prep
aratiOn which secured us the over
whelming triumph of 1898. If we fail
to show forethought and preparation
now, there may come time when dis
aster viii befaH US instead of triumph;
and should this time come, the fault
VIII rest primarily. not upon those
whOrl the accident of events puts in
supreme command at the moment but
upon those who have failed to prepare
in advance.
, There should be no cessation in =
= the work of completing our nay. =
= So far ingenuity has been wholly =
= unable to devise a substitute for >
= the great war craft whose ham =
= mering guns beat out the mastery y
= Of the high seas. It is unsafe and =
> unv-ise not TO provide this year ,
= for several additional battleships =
> and heavy. armOred cruisers, with =
= auxiliary and lighter craft in pro- ,
= portion; for the exact numbers =
= and character 7 refer you TO the =
: report of the secretary of the =
> navy. But there is something we e
, need even more than additional 2
4 ships and this is additional Off =
= GERS and men. To provide battle =
= ships and cruisers and then lay >
= them up. with the expectation Of =
> Leaving them unnamed until they =
= are Heded in actual war. would be =
worse than folly; it would be a =
? crime against the nation. =
More Men Are Needed.
To send any warship against a COM
petent enemy unless those aboard it
have been trained by years of actual
sea service, including inCessant gun
merry practice, would be to invite not
merely disaster. but the bitterest shame
and humiliation. Four thousand al
ditionaI seamen and 1000 additional
marines should be provided; and an
increase in the officers should be pro-
vided by making large addition to
the classes at Annapolis There is one
small matter which should be men
toned in connection with Annapolis.
The pTetentious and unmeauing title Of
naval cadet" should be abolished; the
title of 'midshipman, full of historic
association, should be restored.
Even IL time of peaC- a WarShip
should be used until it wears out, for
only So can it be kept fit to respond 70
any emergency. The officers and men
alike should be kept as much as posi-
bic on the blue water for L is there
only they can learn their duties as they
should be learned. The big vessels
should be Unanswered IN suuadrOns
containing not merely battleships but
the necessary proportion OF cruisers
and scouts. The torpedo boats SHOULD
be handled by the younger officers in
such manner as will best fl the latter
10 take responsibility and meet the
emergencies Of actual warfare
Efficiency is Suggested.
Every detail ashore which can be per-
formed by a civilian should be so per
formed, the officer being kept for mis-
special duty in the sea service. Above
all. gunnery practice should be unceas-
ing. II is important to have our navy
of ADEQUATE size but IL is even more
important mat ship for ship il should