The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-12-29
THOUSANDS ARE PRESENT
Among Them the Most Prominent Men
in the Country.
"A BANQUET FOLLOWS THE LAUNCHING
Secretary Of the Navy Long Argues For the In
crease Of the Navy and the $780,
100000 appropriation For
the Same
(By the Associated Press }

Newport News, Vo., Dec. 2S.-The bat
tleship Missouri was launched at the
ship-yard here today at 11:12 o'clock.
Fully $4,000 people, it is estimated, saw
the big defender go overheard. The
launching passed off without hitch and
none prettier or more successful was ever
accomplished here Miss Marion Cockrell
daughter of Senator F. NJ. Cockrell, of
Missouri, was sponsor for the ship and
she performed the duty assigned her
with the traditional bottle of champagne,
using bottle of Missouri product for the
purpose.
Among them were Secretary of the
Navy Long, Secretary of the Interior
Hitchcock Rear Admiral Melville, United
States Navy; Chief of the Bureau Of
Steam Engineering; Rear Admiral ONeill,
U. S. N. Chief of Ordnance; Judge Advo-
cate Lemly, U. S. NJ; Lieutenant Cover
! nor J. A. Lee, of Missouri, acting for Gov
ernor Dockery; Governor Tyler. of Vir-
ginia. Corwin Fl. Spencer, of st. Louis,
ting the Louisiana Purchase Ex-
position Company; Congressman RiXey,
representing the House Committee on
Naval Affairs; Senator Cocl1rell and a
number of army and navy officers. Mrs.
Roosevelt, wife % President Roosevelt
came up from Old Point ON the United
states dispatch boat Dolphin with her
guests; and viewed the launching from the
steamers deck. When the big ship had
glided off the ways into the water The
crowd on the guests platform gave it
three cheers for Miss Cockrell three for
the army and the navy three for Secre-
tary Long, then three for the ship
yard
At the Chamberlain Hotel this
afternoon the customary post launching
banquet was given, the guests mentioned
above being on the program as the prin-
cipal speakers.
Secretary of the Navy Long spoke in
part as follows:
II have been interested in the circular
signed by many eminent citizens, my be-
loved friend, E. E. Hale, at the head
in which they regret the estimate of
800, 100000 for the increase of the navy.
The size Of the navy, if there is to be
q navy at all, is question like the tariff
of adjustment rather than of principle
OF course it is rather a taking thing to
say as matter of theory, as this cir
cular says, that $100, 900, 900 for the navy
means a tax of Sc on every family in the
United States. And yet on the other hand
as matter of practical fact. if that
sum is spent there is probably not a
family in the United States whose future
income could be shown to be Sc less,
and there are a good many families whose
income would be $6 more and still more
families whose income would be many
times Sc less if it were not spent
70
say that S1O0, 900 could be better spent
for education or charity. But If
500, 900 900 shall be appropriated for the
navy by the present Congress, a small
part will go for the purchase of raw ma
terial and something for salaries but the
great bulk of it for labor in every part
of the Union.
Undoubtedly Uncle Sam ought to re-
duce taxation wherever he can. On the
other hand, it is shrewd and wise in him
to run things so as to keep business
good; and if as result his income is
large he confers much more benefit by
spending it than he would by hiding il.
Whenever the interests of the country
suffer, he should reduce his receipts, but
as they are now excessive, the great
question seems to be how he shall get
the proceeds back among the people. An
other year he may not have so much
money to spend. But if this year. hav-
ing a surplus he spends 500, 600, 900 for
the navy let us remember that while it
is spent under that name it is really
spent, as / said before. in the employ
ment 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.
If there is TO be a navy at all it should
be commensurate with our extended re-
lationS and demands. We are the richest
nation Of the world, with larger income
than any other. If then the size of our
navy should correspond to out national
and international size, and if we have
the cash on hand, it would seem the sim
plest good business sense, the simplest
good business care of our interests, TO
increase the navy; and whether this shall
cost $4,000, 900 or $4,000, 900 or $100 ,000
600. it is not an extravaganza to cut our
garment according to our cloth especially
as last year there was no appropriation
for such an increase.