New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-18
CITES LESSONS OF PREVIOUS WARS.

President Roosevelt gave his views the
larging of the army and navy at the dinner of
the Empire State Society of the Sons of the
Revolution at the Hotel Astor last night by
way of winding up his hurried visit to- the city.
In his characteristic, strong, emphatic way he
told the members Of the society why he thought
the policy of building up the navy should be
continued and why the army should be strength
ened and made more efficient.
In a nutshell il was because the best way to
be sure Of peace was to be able to defeat II
emy, should arise The country was on the
point of building a great canal; it should be able
to protect that canal and the rest of its terri
tory as well. He cited mistakes in the Revolu-
tionary, Mexican and Civil wars in emphasizing
his argument and pointed to the quick ending
of the Spanish War proof of what an efficient
navy could do, The reasons for the building
up of the navy which. he said, now put the
United States in the front rank as a sea power
applied to the army. He thought more frequent
manoeuvres in masses would tend to increase it's
efficiency.
COGHLAN CRITIC1sEs ARMS AND ARMOR.
Rear Admiral Joseph Coghlan was the next
speaker after the President. He said in part:
Be ready at all times to deal a swift blow to
an enemy. The war in the Far East has demon
strated that the way to win is by big battle
ships We will have twenty-seven batteships
try. and they include eleven that are not first
class, and when our great navy is completed
we shall have just sixteen battleships, and some
twelve armOred cruisers
Fine vessels, these, but poorly armored and
poorly armed, and they should never take a
place in the line of battle In 1908 we shall need
S6,5O enlisted men to our ships. To-day
we have some $4,000, and there is a Wastage of
1900 men a year through deaths, desertions
and designations. II means must get
men and train them, and it takes as long to train
men as it does TO build ships. We must keep
hilG Gf1o n
as 1t goes to-day is equal, If not superior, any
We know of and better than ALL 90 per cent OF
the men in it now are American born.
Silk American flags. set in borders of white
satin, with white doves al the corners. formed
a fitting background for the speakers table at
the dinner 1t was held in the big white and
gold ballroom at the Hotel Astor, and of some
five hundred persons present half of them we're
women.
The peace" banner in the corner of the hall
a galaxy Of the flags OF all nations in
field OF white. This banner is to be displayed at
the laying OF the corner stone OF the Arbitra-
ton Court OF The Hague.
The Presidents flag displayed over the chair
of President Roosevelt was the one used at the
inauguration of William Mckinley and Theodore
Roosevelt.
Immediately after the diners were seated, Pro-
fessor William K. Wickes in a brief speech, pre-
sented a silver loving cup to the retiring presi-
dent of the society, Walter S. Logan.
These the toasts and those who re-
sponded 10 them:
Greeting to the Sons of the American Revolu-
ton" Theodore Roosevelt; american Revolu-
tion of the Twentieth Century" Albert Bushnell
Hart, OF Harvard University; THE Army"
Major General James F. Wade; THE Culture Of
Patriotism William Scott. of Worcester: Our
Distant Possessions" Brigadier General Grant:
.x1yo
Fort
dent seated Walter s. Logan president
of the Empire State Society, Sons of the Ameri-
After all. UsHERs. the Scotch that MADE the