Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-27
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
REGARDS THE AMERICAN NAVY
AS THE GREATEST.
Increased Burden on the Presidents
Shoulders-Doubts Necessity for
an Isthmian Canal.

J. Martin Miller in the Newark Evening News.
WASHINGTON, March 26. = Admiral
George Dewey talked to the Evening News
corresp ondent last night, at his residence
about the presidency. the United states
navy, the Germany navy. the Venezuelan
imbroglo the admrals winter maneuVers
In the Carbide an sea, the Panama canal and
the currents of commerce.
The correspondent ventured to speak OF
Grover Cleveland.
'I notice" said the admiral, that nc is
being talked about at least. 1t looks as
though he might be ambitious for some
thing. The presidency, however, in these
DAYS is very different position from
what 1t was say twelve or sixteen years
ago. l mean by this that the office seems
To require man in the prime OF life. lie
mustn't be too old in these days. II is
strenuous undertaking, to use that very
expressive word, to become the chief execu-
tive of the nation today. Look at President
Roosevelt now. He is about to undertake
a two months trip, visiting the great west
as far as the Pacific. Think of the strain
the enormous draft on the vitality OF the
human maehine. This sort or thing mas
never been gone into, in the past, TO such
an extent as 1t seems to be required or a
President today.
Thinks Cleveland Too Old.
Then. besides, the performance of the
duties of the office themselves requires a
man of the greatest physical and mental
strength This was not so much so before
we became a great world power, one OF
the greatest if not, today, the greatest,
in worldwide influence. The United States
today is called into the disputes OF the
European family of nations not to speak OF
the oriental countries and our Laun-
American friends. 1t can be seen, then
that the responsibilities and the obliga-
tions of this nation were comparatively
small previous to the Spanish war 70
what they are today. This condition OF az
fairs requires the greatest mental ana
physical vigor. Some of the possible candl-
dates mentioned at this time, 1T seems to
me, are too far advanced In years.
Ours Greatest of All Navies.
1.-The United States navy" said the ad-
miral ''is the greatest navy In the world
for this reason-every man in the United
States navy is a man of intelligence. He
knows just what to do and the right time
to do it. A warship is enormous ma
chine shop, and every part of that pom
derous creation must be operated by in
telligence Every unit cannot be told at
the time of action by officers just what
to do and when to do it, The least man
must know for himself. Orders that are
given to crew are necessarily general
in character but in conflict every stroke
of work must be directed by intelligence.
This is what makes the United States
navy the greatest navy in the world.
THE German navy, for instance, Is an
entirely different organization in its make
up OF human material. have made a
deep study of that navy. My beiiefs Is
that its efficiency in possible action is
greatly overestimated The men do not
fv, oil, and NJ
telligence with the Americans. Their men
have, in my opinion, been educated so
that they look to the officers and depend
upon them for specific instructions in the
least matters They have not the self-re-
lance of the Americans.
Doubts Panama Canal Scheme.
THE friendship of the masses of the
English people for the United States Is
sincere and genuine Our people are not
apt to give them as much credit for this
real friendship as they deserve. l regret
to say that this matter Is much misun-
derstood In the United States. Nothing
has SO demonstrated this fact to Edward
VII as his recent alliance with Emperor
William.
''Of all the European nations Great Brit
ain is our best friend in every respect,
and our safest one, and commercially she
Is our best customer"
Your maneuvers during the winter in
the Caribbean sea were very successful,
were they not?'
Not only that" said the admiral, but
they were the greatest object lesson OF
that kind probably, that the world has
ever seen. 1t was an object lesson to
the kaiser more than to any other per-
son. Think of It, fifty-four wsrships, in
Guiding GOLFERS and all. Germany could
not possibly get a fleet over here that
could fight such aggregation of war
ships as that"
What do you think of the feasibility
and the practicability Of the Panama canal
scheme?' the admiral was asked.
81 don't know: don't know. I am puz-
zled. was greatly impressed few years
ago with the remarks made by the late c.
P. Huntington at Galveston. Tex. He
stated that there real necessity for
an isthmian canal. and he offered argu-
ments that it seemed to me were good. In
short. he said that we could get all the
supplies we want from the Atlantic to the
Pacific or the Pacific to the Atlantic by raj
in few days.
Could Be Easily Blocked.
at has been said that we could mobilize
naval fleet from the Pacific TO the At
lantic, from the Atlantic to the Pacific
in comparatively short order. But let the
enemy swing warship in the middle OF
the canal and it is blocked.
bul DIS Stiu, L uON KNOW, can tell
1t IS possible that the Panama Canas will
make a great change in the commercial
currents of the world Ships that now start
from London Marseilles. Genoa or Brindis
for Australia and the orient and that turn
around today and return over the same
route. will change in this respect and pro
coed entirely around the world. using both
the Suez and the Panama canals. The
Panama canal. when completed. may force
the great British. German. French and
other steamship lines that now have their
established routes to completely revolution.
lie their schedules. l can see that in this
respect the canal would give to the Unitet
States wonderfully increased influence II
the commercial world But this is some
thing no one can predict with accuracy
Conditions in the commercial resources o.
the world are so constantly changing Yo,
can figure with some degree Of accurac C,
concerning the ocean currents, trade winds
and other natural conditions but you can
not regarding commercial tides"