The San Francisco call., 1904-12-07
EOD DEICM Dol low OF THE ADMINISTRATION WILL SAFEGUA
O1\IIOlN L O1lol RIGHTS FEARLESSY AND JUSTICE

ed than from the Indignation inevitably
excited in seeing such fearful misrule
as has been witnessed both in Armenia
and Macedonia
The strong arm of the Government III
enforcing respect for its Just rights in
international matters is the navy of
the United States 1 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 cOunIry's
position We have undertaken to build
the Isthmian Canal We have under
taken to secure for ourselves our just
share in the trade of the Orient We
have undertaken TO protect our citizens
from improper treatment in foreign
lands. We continue steadily TO insist
on the application Of the Monroe doc
trine TO the Western Hemisphere In
less our attitude in these and all SINH
lar matters is to be a mere bOastful
sham we cannot afford to abandon our
naval programme. Our voice is now
potent for peace, and is so potent
because We are not afraid Of war. But
our proteStations upon behalf Of peace
would neither receive nor deserve the
slightest attention if we were impotent
to make them good.
The war which now unfortunately
RACES in the Far East has emphasized
in striking fashion the new possibilities
Of naval warfare. The lessons taught
are both strategic and tactical, and are
political as we'll as military The ex-
periences of the war have shown in
conclusive fashion that while sea-going
and sea-keeping torpedo destroyers are
Indispensable. and fast lightly armed
and armored cruisers very useful,
yet that the main reliance, the main
standby. in any navy worthy the name
must be the great battleships. heavily
armored and heavily gunned- Not a
Russian or japanese battleship has
been sunk by a tcrpedO-boat, or by
gunfire, while among the less protected
ships cruiser after cruiser has been
destroyed whenever the hostile squad
rons have got within range Of one
another's weapons. There will always
be a large field Of usefulness for cruis-
ers, especially of the more formidable
type. We need TO increase the number
of torpedo-boat destroyers, paying less
heed TO their having a knot or two ex-
ira speed than to their capacity to keep
the seas for weeks, and, if necessary,
for months at a time. II is wise 10
build submarine torpedO-bo as under
certain circumstances they might be
very useful. But most of all we need
~ NOAANAAAAC O0I meet VI DdlllC-
ships. or ships so powerfully armed
that they can infiict the maximum OF
damage upon our opponents. and so
we'll protected that they can suffer a
severe hammering in return without
I fatal impairment of their ability to
fight and maneuver. OF course ample
means must be provided for enabling
the personnel Of the navy TO be brought
to the highest point of efficiency. Our
great fighting chfnc n fnrv1a70- hro :
must be ceaselessly trained and
maneuvered in squadrons. The officers
and men can only learn their trade
thoroughly by ceaseless practice on the
high seas. In the event Of war 1T would
be far better TO have no ships at all
than TO have ships of a poor and in
effective type, or ships which however
good, were yet manned by unframed
and unskiIlful crews. The best officers
and men in a poor ship could do moth
ing against fairly good opponents; and
on the other hand, a modern WarshiD
is useless unless the officers and men
aboard her have become adopts in their
duties. The craftsmanship in our
navy has improved in an extraordinary
degree during the last three years. and
on the whole the types of our battle
ships are improving; but much remains
to be done. Sooner or later We shall
have to provide for some method by
which there will be promotions for
merit as well as for seniority. or else
retirement of all those who after a
certain age have not advanced beyond
a certain grade; while no effort must
be spared to make the service attrac-
tive TO the enlisted men in order that
they may be kept as long as possible in
ii. Reservation public schools should
be provided wherever there are navy
yards.