Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-12-08

: we are entitled to protest to refus,
him his passport without regard t
his conduct and character. merely OF
racial and religious grounds. In Tur
| key our difficulties arise less from
J the way In which our citizens are
sometimes treated than from the in
dignation Inevitably excited in seeinl
| such fearful misrule as has been wit
messed both in Armenia and Macedc
mia.
The Navy.
The strong arm Of the Government
in enforcing respect for Its Just rights
J in international matters is the Navy
Of the United States most earnestly
recommend that there be no halt in
! the work Of upbuilding the American
Navy. There is no more patriotic duty
before us as a people than to keep the
Navy adequate to the needs of this
country's position. We have under.
taken to build the Isthmian Canal. We
have undertaken to secure for OUR.
selves our just share in the trade OF
the Orient We have undertaken to
protect our citizens from improper
treatment in foreign lands. We con-
tinue steadily to insist on the appli-
cation OF the Monroe Doctrine to the
Western Hemisphere. Unless our at.
titude in these and all similar matters
Is to be mere boastful sham we can
not afford TO abandon our naval pro-
gram Our voice is now potent for
peace. and 1t is 50 potent because we
are not afraid OF war. But our protesta.
tions upon behalf of peace would nei-
ther receive nor deserve the slightest
attention IL We were impotent to make
them good
| The war which now unfortunately
ranges In the far East has emphasized
In striking fashion the new possibli
ties of naval warfare. The lessons
taught are both strategic and tactical
and are political as well as military.
| The experiences of the war have
shown in conclusive fashion that
while sea-going and sea.keeping tor
pedo destroyers are Indispensable. and
fast lightly armed and armored crui.
GERS very useful. yet that the main re-
lance, the main standby in any navy
| worthy the name. must be the great
battle ships, heavily armored and hea.
Willy gunned. Not Russian or Jap
anese battle ship has been sunk by
| torpedo boat, or by gun fire. while
among the less protected ships, crui.
ser after cruiser has been destroyed
whenever the hostile squadrons have
gotten within range of one another's
weapons. There will always be
large field of usefulness for cruisers,
| especially OF the more formidable
type. We need to increase the num-
ber of torpedo-boat destroyers pay
ing less heed to their having knot
or two extra speed than to their ca.
pacity TO keep the seas for weeks.
and, If necessary, for months at
time. 1t is wise to build submarine tor
pedo boats, as under certain circum-
stances they might be very useful.
But most Of all we need to continue
building our feet OF battle ships. or
ships so powerfully armed that they
can infict the maximum of damage
upon our opponents. and so well pro-
tected that they can suffer a severe
hammering in return without fatal i'm
pairment of their ability to fight and
maneuver OF course ample means
must be provided for enabling the per
sonnel OF the Navy To be brought to
the highest point OF efficiency. Our
great fighting ships and torpedo boats
must be ceaselessly trained and man.
euvered in squadrons. The officers and
men can only learn their trade thor
oughly by ceaseless practice on the
high seas. In the event of war II
would be far better to have no ships
however good, were they manned by
unframed and unskillful crews. The
best officers and men in poor ship
could do nothing against fairly good
opponents; and on the ether hand a
modern war ship is useless unless the
officers, and men abroad her have be
come adopts in their duties. The
Workmanship in our Navy has i'm
proved In an extraordinary degree dur
ing the last three years. and on the
whole the types OF our battleships are
Improving; but much remains to be
uphe COOuSt VI AttI we bndll nave
to provide for some method by which
there will lbe promotions for merit as
well as for seniority. or else retire
ment OF all those who after a certain
age have not advanced beyond a Ger.
tain grade; while no effort must re
spared to make the service attractive
to the enlisted men In order that they
may be kept as long as possible In 1t.
Reservation public schools should be
provided wherever there are navy
yards.
The Army.
Within the last three years the
United States has set an example in
disarmament where disarmament was
proper BY law our Army is fixed at
a maximum OF one hundred thousand
| and minimum OF sixty thousand
men. When there was insurrection In
the Philippines we kept the Army at
the maximum. Peace came in the Phil
ippines, and now our Army has been
reduced to the minimum at which 1t
is possible to keep 1t with due regard
to its efficiency. The guns now mount
ed require twenty-eight thousand