The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1904-09-10
"THE Big STICK. !"
American Warships Cannot Be Al.
lowed to Rust.

The introduction of the 'big stick" in
our national policy found its origin in
speech made by President Roosevelt in
Chicago April =. 1902. At this time the
President felt it necessary to explain
to the people why vast sums were ex-
pended annually in the building up Of
a naval force which surpassed the ma
vies Of foreign countries in time of
war. He said: There is a homely
old adage which runs: Speak softly
and carry a BIG STICK; you will go
far" This statement taken in con-
junction with the fact that American
warships were rushed all over the
world soon caused European nations
to regard the great republic as an over
grown bully Later President RooSe-
welt at Haverhill, Mass. said: The
good work of building UP the navy
must go on without ceasing The mod
ern warship cannot with advantage be
allowed to rust in disuse. 1t must be
used in active service. even in time Of
peace"
Thinking men do not relish the idea
of warShipS being sent on missions
that might result in their not rusting
in disuse Among them is Joseph Pu-
liter. who says to President Roosevelt:
WAS it to use them up in active serv-
ice and preserve them. from ruSting
that you kept the Machias, the Iowa,
the Concord and the Philadelphia
busy at Panama and Colon for the
first six months of your term. and that
you had the Iowa land marines at
Panama two months after you took
~ fn, ha
that you sent the Philadelphia to Quay
aquil. Ecuador. in March. 1902. when
your keen scent detected threatened
revolution. and that soon afterward
you dispa atched the hattleship WiscOn-
sin and the gunboat Ranger to Pana-
ma and the cruiser Cincinnati to Co.
lon. ordered the Panther to the 18TH
mus with a battalion OF marines, land
ed 2000 men and took possession of the
Panama Railroad. refusing to allow
the Colombian troops to ride without
giving up their arms?
WAS it to keep the navy from rust
ing that you ordered the Machias and
Cincinnati to land marines in Hayti
in 1902. that you sent the Marietta TO
overawe Venezuela about the same
time. that you dispatched the Boston,
followed by the entire Pacific squad
ron to the west coast of Honduras
and the entire caribbean squadron to
the east coast on the outbreak Of the
regular spring revolution the next
year; that you had the Atlanta, the
San Francisco and the Detroit take
turns in worrying the DominicanS in
the same season; that you simultan-
eously directed the gunboat Cai!ao to
patrol Chinese river. and that you
sent the Helena to stir up the Russians
at Newchwang and the Nicksburg at
Chemulpo?
WAS it to use the ships up in time
of peace and incidentally make more
work for the contractors that you
rushed a squadron to Beirut when you
heard that the American Consul had
been killed, and did not recall the Or
ders when you learned the next day
that the story was false; that you sent
the Baltimore and Newport to Santo
Domingo in the fall when the country
was in the enjoyment of its normal
state of revolution; that you started d
whole fleet toward Panama ON a tele-
pathic impression that the Isthmus
might secede from Colombia; that you
sent Admiral Wise to Santo Domingo
last February to oversee another revo-
luton. dispatched feet to Tangier to
get Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead, Or
dered the European squadron to Smyr-
no to secure school prjysssg -. ssn....0r Cor
American missionaries. sent the De-
troit back to Santo Domingo last May,
and have just hurried the Denver and
Bancroft to the scene of the latest
revolutionary eruption in Hayti. and
why you have at this moment eight
warships at Shanghai against seven
from all others nations combined|