Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-06-05

~
Especial Washington Letter.
@ONIE time before congress adj
~ journed Mr.. Speaker Hender-
son appointed Inc one OF the
visitors to the closing exercises
Of our Naval academy Mt Annapolis.
Messrs. Adams of Philadelphia aud
Watson Of Indiana were my colleagues
from the house. We were to act con-
Jointly with Senators Daniel Of Vir-
ginia and McComas of Maryland and;
were to rendezvous ut Annapolis June
], which we did.
It was a pleasure to discharge this
duty, to perform this function.
Our Naval academy Is great train
ing school for sen fighters. When 1t Is
completed as now planned 1t will be.
the greatest naval school in the world,
bar none. This is altogether meet and
proper. for is not this the greatest
country under the sun? Being the
greatest nation, we are entitled to have
lin fact, 1t is our duty to haye-the
best of everything that's going. Con-
sequently we are preparing for our
selves naval academy the greatest
ever, and we are doing it regardless
Of expense, for are we not the richest
people beneath the stars, getting rich
er every day, every hour, every min
ute, every second? If we want the
greatest naval academy or the greatest
anything else who shall say us nay?
There is one thing in which every
citizen Of the republic without regard
to political affiliations and without re-
gard to age, race, sex or previous con-
dition can take IN honest prlde-the
American navy.
From the day when John Paul Jones
humbled England, startled the world
and wrote his name on the scanty list
OF the immortals to this good hour the
navy has been the pet of the American
people.
Nature made us Inevitably mari
time people by giving us more coast
line than is possessed by any other
country.
Our first and surcst and easiest de-
tense is upon the sea. This was DEM
onstrated thoroughly in the war OF
1912, from which without our triumphs
upon the water and without Andrew
Jackson's astounding victory at New
Orleans we would not have been In a
strictly prime condition to do much
Growing; quite the contrary.
One of the best results of that war
and one of the most enduring was
that 1t caused Marylander. Fran
els Scott Key, TO write the immor-
tai song. The Star Spangled Banner"
which never fails to stir the hearts Of
an American audience.
While the events which gave 1t birth
and Of which 1t is descriptive were en-
tirely local, 1t girdles the world as the
| fayorite martial air Of the most war
Ike people on the globe-for that is
precisely what they are ReetWithstand-
ing all our eHlGgies Hp9H peace. That
fact was thoroughly demons trated dur.
ing our great civil war, when Mt the
first throb Of the war drum an entire
people sprang to ar:as.
When Napoleon had sorrowfHlly
signed the title deeds to the Louisiana
purchase he said, Now have given
England a rival upon the sea" and
that was the chief satisfaction which
he derived from that stHpendous per.
formance-the greatest transaction
proposed in real estate since the devil
took the Saviour to the top OF high
mountain and offered him the domin
ion Of the world to fall down and
worship him.
| Could Napoleon on that April day
In 1903 have looked forward to 1872
| 1873 and 1914 he would have seen tina
he had given England not only rival
but a conqueror, upon the sea.
Il The American people are not jealou,
Of a large navy as they are Of q larg,
standing army. They are not stingy
toward the navy. OF course, they d,
act want congress to squander theil
money. but they DO want the country
to have navy adequate to its wants
and they are willing to foot the bills
They understand the wisdom Of the oil
saying that an ounce OF prevention Il
Worth q pound of cure, and they be
lieve that an ample navy is a guar
antee of peace rather than an incentive
or provocation to war.
Our new navy Is matter of suel
pride that two men William G. Whit
l ney and William q. Chandler-a Dem
oerat and Repqbl claim to be it
father. It may take a Rsw Solomon
to decide the question Of paternity q!
the old one solved 4 yexed question o
maternity.
No Sailor President.
But there is one strange thing abou
the attitude of the people toward tn
navy that nobody has ever explained
and that Is this, While they are in
tensely proud Of the achievements o.
the navy and cheer a battle ship o.
Jack Tar wherever seen they absolutel,
refuse to bestow political honors upol
their naval heroes. This Is perhaps til,
greatest mystery connected with Amer
lean history or American politics. The.
never weary Of eieyating successful
soldiers to the highest political posi-
lions. but they draw, the line absolutel!
at naval victors. They will have nom
Of them in office. Wherefore? Per
haps nobody can tell, perhaps nobod.
eyer tried to find out. It Is problem
worthy OF the profoundest cogltation o
the psychologist,
4 The Revolutionary war made Wash
ington president and helped Calope
Monroe very much in his prolonged ef
fort to reach the White House. Not
SEA fighter of the Revolution was eve
mentioned for the place.