Omaha daily bee., 1905-11-18
sva LETTER BOX,
Need Of GREAT Navy,

btts n rev uaAe hkO hu tNlANilaA az
peared IN The bee In reference to the I
Recommendation of the General Board OF
the Navy that authority be asked Of con- /
gress TO increase the size OF battleships |
authorized at the last session to 1900 tons.
The Bee took occasion to express the
opinion that while Il might be well to in
crease the size of the vessels already voted,
any provision for additional ships would
provoke a protest from the people of the
country; and that the large amount OF
money involved might. with greater nd
vantage be used for other purposes. The
argument advanced was to the effect that
we already rank third among naval powers,
and that we have not a sufficient number
OF officers and men TO man the new
ships
This argument seems so plausible that |
am compelled to challenge It.
In the first place. the shortage u officers
and men in the navy today is due to a
| fault OF the past that may readily be
! remedied When congress- after the war
with Spain, provided for very great in
crease In the size and number OF our naval
vessels, they neglected to provide for crews
| to man them. More recently a vigorous
| EFFORT has been made to remedy this
| The Naval academy has been enlarged sew
eral fold. and it has been found practical
| BILE TO improve the conditions OF naval life
| so as to attract a better class OF young
Americans and keep them in the service
! for successive enlistments. Large ships are
not usually ready for their crews until
nearly Ave years after they are authorized
by congress, and with ordinary foresight
tho crews can be provided I'm time for the
ships The question as to whether we
should check our naval progress az this
( time is. therefore, not one of practicabilty,
but of economy.
Our rank as naval power, our status,
does not depend entirely upon the number
OF our ships and guns but also upon the
natural strength and weakness of our po-
| sitlon, upon the extent and vulnorabilty
| of our interests. and upon our dependence
thereon. upon our relations with our neigh
bars, and upon our national temperament.
Some men never require the protection OF
the law or the police. Some are more con-
siderate of others interests and ambitions
than they are of their own,- are weak In
personal ambition or devoid of aggressive
spirit Others are naturally aggressive
impatient with interference, strongwilled
and ambitious. These are always liable to
find themselves precipitately involved in
controversy. There is as yet no interna-
tonal law that can protect the interests
of the weak against the interests OF the
} strong. Hence at this stage OF the world s
development, and with our present national
temperament. which does not patiently sub
} NIT to the interference If rival interests,
we require a naval force commensurate
with our interests and our pretenslons. 1t
Is best to avoid too many generallties, and
TO consider the situation as directly and
as practically possible.
With France and Russia W have at pres
/ -fav "A
should become involved in another's quar-
rel the ships now building Will not be re-
quired to defend our interests against those
! powers
: ! Our present relations with England are
5 such as to make us hope that many years
Will elapse before we again meet in battle
While our interests are not Great Britain's
y and its interests are not our own, there is
q such similarity of our interests and
policies that we are naturally united in a
= defense of them. II would at present be-
fatal to the best interests of either tC
have the naval power OF the other de
stroyed.
Our relations with Germany and Japan
= fortunately harmonious at present ar'
liable to disturbance from the most natura
: Of all causes-rival development
We see our own pretonsIons In very
soft light. Other nations have a differen
5 point of view. Germany and Japan ar,
not so prone as we to publish their am
l. bilious projects, nor their plans for op
l. posing the pretensions OF their rivals.
II with the kindest feelings for both Ger
e many and Japan and respect for their am
e billions, yet feel that 1t is necessary tina
. we should be prepared in the Atlantic AM
y Caribbean to defend Our interests agains
e Germany and in the Pacific to be ready t
> resist Japan.
e. But even II It be not necessary. even
II we may reasonably expect the indefinitel
l. continued friendship OF both OF thes
g powers, yet should we be prepared
1t As Captain Kimball of the navy som
years ago demonstrated, the most reason
able basis upon which to regulate on
naval expenditures is that of insurance. !
:, IL worth while to pay additional pre-
- MUM to render our position strong enoug
to deter a rival from attacking US? Ho'
- much would be necessary, and what woul
~ be the effect OF our naval increase upo
~ probable rivals?
~ At present the Germans undoubtedly b.
V lieve that they are strong enough to me'
~ us with a strong chance Of success. The
d build ships rather more quickly than "
ana are more methodical in the matter
III preparing in advance all the details
ment and their crews
o. | can give no reason for 1t, but | suspe
es that Germany does not view with approx
TO our project OF terrifying the Panama cana
ra and that It will continue the augmentatiC
he of its feet as rapidly as practicable, wheth
ne we stop building now or not.
Similarly, Japan will spare no cost in Il
development of its navy. Its policy at pre-
ent as for many years past is a very ar
We bilious, determined, aggressive one thouI
no Il Is not given to boasting OF what II e
IT. poets TO do. Its interests and our own no
ls- conflict and will conflict more seriously
ss the immediate future, 1t is no more di
I'D posed than ourselves to submit patient
or, when II finds it's interests limited by int
M ests OF rival nations. In short, II is mo
cd liable than any other power TO resort
*. tho strength and readiness Of its naval a
ial military forces to settle any dispute ov
ire rival pTetensions.
We may well concede that we are not nj
prepared to resist japan In the Pacii
aid Whether we could defend our own cos
m. and the Caribbean against Germany is &
ms tromely doubtful. II we stop building NJ
ar Germany would soon be able TO threaten
SITS seriously, n so disposed.
,a, The Pacific ocean Is surrounded by cot
he n