Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-12-22
Naval Extravaganza.

II any doubt existed I'm the minds
OF the taxpayers OF this country in re-
gard TO the policy OF the present ad-
ministration on the increase OF our
naval expenditures it was set at rest
by the annual report OF the secre-
tary OF the navy, the first which Mr..
Morton ever made. says the Boston
Herald. He says the naval estimates
for the next fiscal year are large. the
largest ever submitted. and with this
comes the comforting announcement:
"New ships necessarily require more
officers. more marines and more enlist
ed men. and the appropriations are
quite likely to Increase steadily for
some years to come. The more ships
we have the greater our fixed charges
will be. and the greater our facilities
necessarily must be I'm the way OF
yards and docks and the ability to
make repairs and take proper care of
the fleet"
That Is merely u statement Of the
truth. Under the present administra-
ton our naval expenditures will in
crease and. measured by the past, II
will be at no slow ratio. On the ad-
vance ratio OF recent years IL will soon
be the heaviest single item Of expendi-
lures in our national budget.
Secretary Morton says: Last year
the navy cost "a little over 81 per capita
1t cost little To what war would cost
and II il the best insurance We have
against war. We want such a navy In
size. style and sand that no other
navy will ever desire an engagement
with US" First. IA regards the "a lit
tie over 81 per capita" statement. Last
year the navy cost close To sos. CO.,
coo. Our population. IA figured by the
treasury department OH Dec I. 1903
which may lee taken AZ the middle or
average date Of last year. was 81 .O6l,-
900. our navy cost In excess Of 81 per
capita more than the entire yearly cost
OF the navy i'm any year from 1875 to
1889.
One dollar per capita does not sound
very large. particularly when II is pro-
nounced by "a member Of the cabinet,
but when IL Is remembered that the
cost OF our navy last year exceeded by
several million dollars tie combined
average yearly value Of the imports Of
coffee. tea. wrapper and filler tobacco
and wool brought into the United
States In the five years from 1898 to
1902 II IL shown that il must be quite
Il burden OH the taxpayers OF the coun-
try.
As a nation we do a very tiourishing
export business I'm wheat. but the aver
age yearly value OF the wheat export
ed i'm the five years from 1898 TO 1902
would not pay the bills for Mr.. Nor
toms department as he estimates those
bills for the coming year. A dollar per
capita means almost a barrel OF -four
per family. and yet. as we have shown.
the dollar per capita IL no measure Of
last years expenses for the navy. and
if Secretary Morton has his way il will
be q still poorer one for the next year.
Secretary Morton devotes two and a
half pages Of bis report to the question
OF battleships versus torpedo boats
and the lessons OF the war In the east.
The bulk OF this space Is occupied by
quotations from two letters written by
the president one In February. 1902
and the other in February. 1898.
Perhaps i'm the latter quotation Sec
rotary Morton found his argument for
the use Of the word sand" For our
part. we never questioned the sand"
Of the American navy. and we think II
was just ss apparent i'm the old wood
en- ships lost in the hurricane at Sa-
moa rs IL was I'm the modern fighting
machines Off Santiago. Expenditures
OF money and an Increase OF the ships
and the men do not make sand"
That comes from the people and Is
generally found to the greatest extent
with those who talk the least about 1t.