The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-15
Much Naval Talk &

Much Naval Talk
Is The president yesterday talked strongly
about the duty of increasing our naval
strength in his speech at San Francisco,
on the occasion Of the dedication OF the
monument erected to commemorate the
victory of Dewey at Manila In May, 1898.
He emphasized the fact that the Dewey 1
victory had been the means Of increas-
ing the respect Of previously sneering Eu- i
rope for us. and OF opening a bright per-
spective for this nation for control Of the
trade OF the Pacific ocean.
The subject Of naval power came up
yesterday also in the British house of
comma ns, where, sihgularly enough. the
reduction Of naval ornaments was dis
cussed, and several speakers proposed
that the government approach Russia and
the other powers to ascertain theirviews.s
Upon discovering that: France and Russia
we're together building three more battle
ships than Great Britain, the talk Of re-
duction OF armament weakened and the
secretary of the admiralty remarked that
all the powers Of Europe were Increasing
their navies with great zeal, notably Rus
sia and he did not see that Great Britain
4
was navally active beyond the necessity,
for it might be assumed that all the prep
arations for amplified sea power In Europe
were against Great Britain. As to the
United States. he remarked that was
a grave consideration which In the future
will have to be considered" The
United States, indeed, will have to be
reckoned with in any. consideration OF the
sea powers. Within the last twenty years
we have built a navy, counting the unfin-
ished vessels now building, numbering
1853 ships of all kinds. comprising a ton
mage of about $4,000 tons, those figures
being exceeded only by Great Britain and
France After the civil war was over.
the six hundred and odd vessels of the
navy improvised by Gideon Welles, which
had done good service during the war,
were practically worthless as the new era
of iron and steel ships and changed tao
tics was beginning and wooden ships were
| obsolete for war purposes. It was seven
teen years after the civil war before we
began in earnest to construct an up-to-
date navy, congress having shown a curl
Gus Indifference to the necessity for a
navy. There was, however an awakening
to the fact that there was no use talking
about war without the backing OF a navy,
and the Virginius affair and the clash
| with Great Britain over the claims grow
ing out OF the depredati ions OF confederate
/ cruisers upon our commerce stimulated
the movement for an adequate navy. We
are now in such an advanced condition
L..
miralty secretary was justified In saying
that our activity was "a grave considera-
ton which in the future would have to be
1 considered.
4 1t is reported from Madrid that the gov
ernment will, at the next session OF the
cortes, ask sanction for the reorganiza-
ton of the Spanish navy, and the i'm
provement Of the arsenals and dockyards
Spain whose navy we destroyed In 1898
perceives that one of the first things to be
done is to strengthen herself on the sea
Z fer self defense, whatever may be the
r cost. She does not want to be caught un
r prepared next time she is threatened witt
t war. The talk in the British ommons
t yesterday, about reducing the nava
y ornaments Is idle Great Britain, VIII
! her possessions dotting the periphery Q
t the earth. and all Europe ready to tax
: advantage of any naval weakness on he
e part, could not reduce her armament
r She has rather to increase it continual.
S and keep ahead Of her Competitors. Hov
9 far this rivalry in warship building vii
e proceed cannot be foretold. Exhauste'
s financial vitality may ultimately compe
: some Of the competitors to take thei
> chances as decayed sea powers 81
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