Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1903-09-04

likely to be created by the maneuvers
in which the Atlantic fleet was recently
engaged off the New England coast.
The public he thinks. is misled by the
imposing list of naval vessels employed.
whereas most of them do not belong to
the actual fighting class. and the ships
really capable Of meeting u powerful
foe are comparatively few in number.
The admiral then makes a comparison
nations, and states that Great Britain.
France or Germany could assemble
vastly stronger fleet for similar ma
neuVers. He lays emphasis on the ex-
penditure which the Cld-world nations
are making on their navies annually.
and urges the Nevy League to keep the
facts before the people in order that
the strength of our own navy may be
rapidly Increased.
When Admiral Dewey discusses any
question relating to the navy he speaks
as an expert, and his statements of fact
will be accepted without question, while
his suggestions will have hardly less
weight. We have no fault to find with
mis- argument is by no means the best.
1t is the line of reasoning which is
pressing nearly all civilized people to
the earth under an awful load of tax
alton. France, with less than half the
population of the United States. MAIN
tains a standing arny of half a million
men, because Germany has an army
fully as large. And an enormous navy
is being constructed because the navy
of Great Britain is still larger. Thus
the army and navy are sucking the life
blood, both physically and financially.
from the French people, and the French
republic sinks more deeply each year
into hopeless debt. Germany keeps the
out of industrial life and penned up in
garrisons because France and Russia
do likewise, and only a few days ago
the German emperor decided to increase
expense of 100000 because it had been
shown that France and Russia were
spending more money in the same line.
The navy of Germany grows apace, one
of the most potent arguments being
the activity Of the United States,
France, Russia, and Great Britain in
building up their navies. And so it is
all around the European circle. When
ever Russia, Italy, France, Great Brit
ain or Germany undertakes a more am
bilious military or naval programme
It is considered sufficient to explain that
the other nations, including the United
States. are embarked upon the same
policy and that it will net do to be left
in the race.
Indeed the determination of the
United States to have a navy compat
ihie with the increased needs presented
by our new position as one of the
worlds great powers has been urged IN
every European cabinet as a compelling
reason for adding to their navies. In
turn, our own statesmen and authCTi
ties on the fighting game insist that we
must do still more if we are not to be
outclassed. Followed to its logical con-
clusion. this line of reasoning would
compel every government to spend
more and more money for military pur-
poses until every dollar of the national
resources had been consumed in addi-
tional ships. sailors, soldiers, guns and
ammunition. So long as this is the pre-
vailing argument the logical course will
be to move faster and faster toward
making the world an armed camp
We do need a stronger navy. Adj
miral Dewey. President Roosevelt, and
every authority worth a hearing are
sound on that point. AS Admiral
Dewey tersely points out in one of his
supplementary arguments, Our i'm
mense coast line and our rapidly-in-
creasing world trade demand a navy.
We must have it for our own protec-
ton" But the time is not far off when
we shall have a navy entirely adequate
for our needs. When we have reached
that point, the American people should
have sufficient self-reliance to stop. nc
matter if other nations have acquired
! navies several times the size of ours.