The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-03

same respect for our rights from others
which we are eager and anxious to ex-
tend to their rights in return, to in
sure fair treatment to us commercially,
and to guarantee the safety of the
American people.
Our people intend to a bide by the Mon
roe doctrine and to insist upon it as the
one sure means of securing the peace
of the Western Hemisphere.
The navy offers us the only means OF
making our insistence upon the Mon
roe doctrine anything but subject OF
derision to whatever nation chooses to
disregard it, We desire the peace which
comes as of right to the just man arm
ed; not the peace granted on terms OF
ignominy to the craven and the weak
ling.
1t is not possible to improvise a navy
after war breaks out. The ships must
be built and the men trained long in
advance.
Some Auxiliary Max shifts.
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. thei' short
comings being made good by the skill
of their fellows; but the efficient fight
ing force of the navy when pitted
against an equal opponent will be found
almost exclusively in the war ships that
have been regularly built and in the
officers and men who through years OF
faithful performance of sea duty nave
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
2 to IA years. and they were able to 40
as they did because the men in the
coming towers, the gun turrets ana
the engine rooms had through long years
of practice at sea learned how to do
their duty.
Navy negun in 1882.
Our present navy was begun in 1882.
AT that period our navy consisted OF
collection of antiquated WOODEN ships,
already almost as out OF place against
modern war vessels as the galleys or
Alcibades and Hamilcar-certainly as
the ships Of Tromp and Blake
Nor at that time did we have men MT
to handle the modern men-ofwar. I'm
der the wise legislation of the congress
and the successful administration of
succession of patriotic secretaries OF the
navy, belonging to both political parties,
the work of upbuildng the navy went
on. and ships equal to any IN the world
of their kind We're continually ADDED;
and what was even more important,
these ships were exercised at sea singly
and in sQuadrons until the men aboard
them We're 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 Infinitely
greater preparedness of our navy than OF
the Spanish navy.
Honors Due Congressman.
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 congressman 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 WageWorkers
who furnished what the congress had
aut horized; the secretaries of the navy
who asked tor and expended the APP
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 Santiago, and
the respect accorded to every true Amer
lean to those who wrought such signal
triumph for our country.
1t was forethought and preparation
triumph Of 1898.
Disaster May Come.
If we fail to show torethought and
now. there may come time
when disaster Will befall us instead OF
triumph; and should this time come. the
fault will rest primarily, not upon thosk
whom the accident of events puts ir
supreme command at the moment, but
upon those who have failed to prepare
in advance.
There should no cessation in the
work Of completing our navy. So far
ingenuity has been wholly unable to de-
wise Il substitute for the great war
craft whose hammering guns beat out
the mastery of the high seas.
1t is unsafe and unwise not to provide
this year for several additional battle
ships and heavy armored cruisers, with
auxiliary and lighter craft in proportion:
For the exact numbers anu character
refe. you to the report of the secretary
# the navy. but there is something We
need even more than addition al ships,
and Il is is additional officers and men.
Worss Than Folly.
To provide battleships and cruisers
and then lay them up, with the, expec-
Lation of leaving them unnamed until
hey are needed in actual war. would be
worse than folly, it would be a crime
against the nation.
To send any war ship against a COM
petent enemy unless those aboard 1t have
oeen trained by years Of actual sea ser
vice, including incessant gunnery prac-
bo tn inn