Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-21
MUST WAR TO KEEP TRADE
America, Says General Young, Will Need
Army to Protect Business.
URGES STRONG FORCES IN PHILIPPINES
Claims Oriental Commerce VIII Even
tuaTly Lead 20 Armed strife and
Demand Presence of strong
Military Body.

CLEVELAND. o., Dec. 20.-The nifty
fourth annual dinner Of the Cleveland
Chamber Of Commerce held tonight was at
tended by several distinguished visitors.
The guests OF honor we're Governor Nash,
Adjutant General Corbin, General s. NJ. B.
Young. General A. r. Chaffee, Joseph O..
Milburn Of Buffalo and Senator Hanna.
These occupied the platform table at which
also sat the mayor, Tom L. Johnson, Major
Garretson and others.
The first speaker was Governor Nash,
who referred TO the growth OF Ohio, and
especially the city OF Cleveland.
When Ohio Joined the union, he said,
there were but three cities, Marietta, Chill
icothe and Cincinnati. The population then
was 81, 900. After fifty years the census
showed nineteen cities with more than
5000
The next speaker was General Corbln,
who spoke to the toast, THE Army and
Its Needs"
He said In part:
We have much that is satisfactory. Our
officers and men are of the best-sober,
having a permanent military establishment
OF volunteers. What Is known as the reg
ular army is in the highest sense a volun-
teer army, every officer ana man taking
service of his own motion But perfection
OF organization is demanded-a harmonious
direction. For a century we have nursed
the hope that radical defects would adjust
tthemselyes. During me past century we
the efficiency OF the army, and enacted
w.th good intent. But they have as a rule
not always with Intelligent relation to what
hCye gore before.
That these unhappy conditions obtain is
largely due to the fact that no one has
heretofore offered a satisfactory solution.
Secretary Root now presents one, recon-
ehall he created, at the head of which
there shall be an officer OF highest rank,
who shall be the chief military officer Of
the War department, and to be known as
Mr.. Roots plan is not the German or
eign army. While he may have gained
valuable suggestions by a close study of
scheme is wholly American and conceived
on the lines and spirit of our government;
and ie in close touch with the constitution.
II should be accepted In the spirit II is of
fered and there Is no question that IT will
be, II the intelligent consideration of the
country is given to 1t.
Commerce Leads Army.
Major General Young spoke of "The Army
and Commerce." saying in part:
A nation cannot be great and enjoy pros
perity except for a limited time without
commerce and an efficient military force
Each is dependent upon the other and as
one prospers so will the other, or eventually
lne IdllOH 10 WHOn lntN pertain VIII cease
TO exist. This is especially true of our own
republic / use the term military force"
in its broad sense, including the army and
navy and all that Is required to make them
efficient.
II the military force is inadequate to in
spire a feeling of confidence among COM
mercial men that their interests will be
protected, the commerce will not increase
and that which may have been established
People may differ in their views as to the
edvisabllity of either purchasing or holding
person can doubt that the predominating
reason for buying them was one of hu-
manity and desire to free them from the
yoke they were bearing, just as we did In
Cubal | believe that a large majority of
the, Filipino people who are capable of
understanding the situation rejoice that
we purchased the islands.
To obtain the trade OF China we will
have have a long and hard struggle with the ma
strong point OF advantage by getting the
goodwill of the Chinese people by our wise
that overshadows all others is the posses
sion of the Philippines The greatest value
military and eommercisI stSndpoint. Which
is favorable to gaining and keeping the con-
troll of the commerce OF Asia. The time is
gateway through which will pass the goods
of our great manufacturing establishments
on their way to the orient. But however
pines may be from commercial point of
view they will be a source of national
weakness unless put in proper state OF
defence and protected by sufficiently large
Amy and navy.
Quality and price go a long way toward
fixing the bounds OF commerce, but there
can be no permanency TO a great commerce
for which different nations are competing
that Is not backed up by large and ade-
quate military force This Is especially
true OF Oriental commerce. II we wish TO
gain the supremacy in commerce in the
east we must maintain such a military
force (army and navy I'm the Philippine
islands that II can act instantly and ef-
af nint In fha nTin ma
that fact must be well known and under
stood by all Oriental peoples. The larger
and more efficient the force, and the more
widely its strength and efficiency are
known the longer will the inevitable con-
hict Of arms be delayed. No one can fore
tell when IL will come, nor what will be the
pretended or real cause, but the time will
come when we will have TO fight to main
tain the supremacy of our commerce.