Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-12-10
PRESIDENT
ESSACE
IN PAGE }
Rights Of American ci.xon. IAbroa..
CONTINUED FRO

cure III otner nauonS he observance
of the principles which we accept as
automatic it is necessary for us firm
ly to insist upon the rights of our own
citizens without regard 70 their creed
or race. without regard to whet'cr
they were born here or be "a abroad II
has proved very difficult I, secure from
Russia the right for our Jewish follow
citizens to receive passports ana travel
through Russian TERRITORY. S,cn con-
duct is not only unjust and irrito TING
toward us. but It is difficult to see its
wisdom from Russias standpoint No
conceivable good is accomplished by il
If an American Jew or an Amer;can
Christian misbehaves himself i'm Rus
STA he can at once be driven ont h1t
the ordinary Americana Jew. like tho
ordinary American Christian. would
behave just about as he behaves here
that is, behave as any good citizen
ought to behave-and where this is the
case it is a wrong against which we are
entitled to protest to refuse him his
passport without regard 70 his conduct
and character merely on racial and re-
ligious grounds. In Tt kew our diff
ficutieS arise less from the way in
which our citizens are sor times treat
ed than frI,m the indigna u Inevitably
excited in seeing such .ful mfsr,,lo
as has been witnessed DO in A,mcn,o
and Macedonia.
The Navy.
The strong arm of the government in
enforcing respect for its Just rights in
international matters is the navy of
the United States. l 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 people than to keep the navy
adequate to the needs of this country's
position. We have undertaken to build
the isthmian canal. We have under
taken to secure for ourselves our lust
share In the trade of the orient. We
have undertaken to protect our citi-
zens from improper treatment in for
eign lands. We continue steadily to
insist on the application of the Monroe
doctrine to the western hemisphere.
Unless our attitude in these and all
similar matters Is to be a mere boast
full 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 IL we were fmpotent
to make them good.
The war which now unfortunately
RACES in the far east has emphasized
IN striking fashion the new possibili-
ties of naval warfare. The lessons
oh bnf orr
and are political his well as military.
The experiences OF the warsh shown
In conclusive fashion that, lie sea
going and sen keeping torrse, destroy
ers are Indispensable and lightly
armed and armored cruis, cry use
ful, yet that the main nee. the
/ ~ .ts,sds.- :. .,s., .,,.,,- S-tsr, Am
maine must be the great bs 1leshlps
heavily armored and heavily gunned
Not Russian or Japanese oattleship
has been sunk by n torpedo boat or by
gun fire, while among the less protected
ships cruiser after cruiser has been de
stroyed whenever the hostile squad
rons have got within range of one an
| others weapons. There will always be
large field of usefulness for cruisers
! especially of the more formidable type
We need to increase the number of tor
pedo boat destroyers, paying less heed
to their having knot or two extra
speed than TO their capacity TO keep
the seas for weeks and if necessary
for months mt time. 1t is wise to
build submarine torpedo boats, as un-
der certain circumstances they might
be very useful, But most of all we
need TO continue building our fleet of
battleships or ships so powerfully arm
ed 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
fatal Impairment OF their ability ia
| fight and maneuver. or course ample
means must he provided for enabling
the personnel of the navy 20 be brought
TO the highest point of efficiency. Our
great fighting ships and torpedo boats
must he ceaselessly trained and maneu-
, vered in squadrons. The officers and
men can only learn their trade thor
oughly by ceaseless practice on the
high seas. In the event bf war il
would be far better TO have no ships
at all than to have ships of d poor and
ineffective type or ships which, how
| ever good. We're yet manned by I'M
trained and unskillful crews The best
officers and men in a poor ship lcould do
nothing against fairly good opponents.
and, on the other hand, a modern war
ship is useless unless the officers and
, men aboard her have become adopts In
their duties. The craftsmanship in
, our navy has improved In an extraor-
, binary degree during the last three
years. and on the whole the types of
our battleships are improving, but
much remains to be done. Sooner or
later we shall have to provide for some
method by which there will be promo
tons for merit as well as for seniopity.
or else retirement of all those who
after certain age have not advanced
beyond a certain grade. while no eff
fort must be spared to make the serv-
ice attractive to the enlisted men in
order that they may be kept ais long as
nOSSihle in il ReSerya ton Dublic