The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-10-05
Thau II Did 10 Educate Daniel Webster
Costs More to Build One Battle Ship Than
to Build Half Dozen Colleges.

The current number of Success
says that the amount now spent for
education in the United States is
about two hundred million dollars
year From present indications
the annual appropriation for the
navy alone will soon very largely
exceed this sum, with prospects OF
indefinite expansion. Until recent.
ly the combined military and naval
expense of the country were less
than one.fourth of those of educa-
tion. We are, therefore, progress
ing four times S fast in the arts of
war as in those of peace.
The latest type of battleship will
cost eight million dollars to build,
as much as the entire appropriation
lor the army and the navy during
the eight years of Washington 5
presidency, since which time the
military and naval expenses have
increased fifteen lines as fast as the
population-and when this ship Is
finished it will be merely all expert
ment ! England has had the largest
experience in naval construction,
and has recently declared a great
number of her warships to be use
less. Eight million dollars is more
than three times the cost of all the
buildings and equipments of TUFTS
College, Boston University, Will
Jams College and Amherst College.
The yearly maintenance, operation,
interest on investment, deteriora-
ton, and gun practice of this battle
ship will exceed one and one-half
million dollars "a sum sufficient to
pay every living and educational
expense Of three thousand young
men and women i'll Our best colleges,
or to meet the school expenses of
fifty thousand children. 1t costs
more for the mere material to fire
one shot from the gun at Sandy
Hook than it did to educate Daniel
Webster. A days gun practice Of
a single ship, firing at imaginary
enemies, costs more than it did 10
educate Emerson, Longfellow,
Lowell and Phillips in Harvard
College. Any increase in appro-
priations and naval activity imme-
diately produces a corresponding
increase in activity by the other
great naval powers OF the world,
and this, in turn, eXcites us TO fur
ther expenditure, so none gains
anything in relative strength. The
burden is merely increased. The
taxpayers of the different naval
powers of the world are kept in a
state of continual excitement and
sear by the activity of the others,
each believing there is all intention
10 secure some unfair advantage,
md claiming that no other reason
an be offered in explanation OF this
extraordinary and unprecedented
growth. There have been neces-
,ary and honorable wars, and the
uture may have others in store.
There are nobler sentiments than
hose of peace-duty, patriotism,
Justice and hOnor-but above them
Ill we mCv write love to man. To
ieuy one penny of necessary appro-
)rlation or to cease one moments
.ieeded activity in any genuinely
patriotic cause is so wholly un-
American that l need not refer to
I. But it is far better to direct our
.abors toward the things that will
'uild up rather than toward those
hat tend to pull us down. 1t is far
Iobler and more in accol dance with
he spirit of American development
md progress to direct our energies
nto the channels through which we
nay uplift our entire country and
id the whole world.