The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1905-01-18
The Navy Needs.

II Is SdlO lIldJ sumo Mluult W Isl
Congressman recoil before the great
appropriation asked for by the Secre.
tary of the Navy. They want to re.
duce the number of ships TO be built
and to stop the perfecting of the An
napois Naval Academy.
Some men never learn anything
Others forget what they once knew.
Had five more ships like the Oregon
been in our navy in 1896, there would
have been no war with Spain. Those
ships with their armament would have
cost perhaps 81, 100000.
When Congress declared war, the
President asked for SjO,OOO,OOO to be
used as he thought best and it was
promptly voted him. And that was
only beginning.
one George Washington who in his
day was accounted as about the clear
est-brained man on this round world
left an injunction to the American
people which was lin time of peace
prepare for war
That was not half as pertinent re-
mark in Washington'S time as it is
now. The older nations were long
way OIL. Our shipbuilders could al.
most build fleet while foreign fleet
would be coming To our shores.
Now Europe has been pushed by
steam up within seven days of our
coast; those great powers, while os-
tensibly very friendly, are at the same
time both jealous and apprehensive of
the increasing power Of the Great Re-
public Moreover, the Spanish Amer
lean States owe to Europe vast sum,
going into the billions, and there will
be an insistance on settlement one of
these days. Then something will be go.
ing on Just across the Pacific from our
west coast that may involve this coun.
try in trouble before it is over, and no
thing Is so tempting TO hungry power
as to know that the power it wants to
pick a quarrel with is in a great meas
ure defenSeless.
II takes good while to build bat
tleShip; 1t takes still more time to
train lighting men for work at sea
The great training school should be
made Just as nearly absolutely perfect
a human invention, investigation and
study can make it, and with it ships
should be supplied Just as rapidly as it
is possible TO build them, until we
reach the point when no nation on
earth would coyet clash at sea with
the United States. \ single incident.
sprung in might 10y a few reckless and
blood-thirsty men, made the war with
Spain an absolute necessity A ma
ton, no more than an individual.
knows when trouble Is coming. The
only safe way is to be prepared to
meet it when it does come.
For thirty years after the civil war
closed, our navy was kept in a cOndi.
ton TO invite attack. II was a Grim
NAL disregard Of duty on the part OF
Congress that it was So Even when
the war with Spain came, had Ccrvera
known the condition of out Atlantic
coast deIenSeS, he could have directed
his three SwfteSt ships to the north
and laid New York and Boston under
contribution. There were not dozen
rounds Of ammuuil ion for the SEA
coast guns, no smOkelesS powder, and
so weak was the navy on the Atlantic
that the Oregon had to be rushed
from Seattle on her $4,000 mile trip,to
take her place in the fleet OIL Havana
When the people last November
gave Theodore Roosevelt a plurality
Of 2,5OO,O 600 votes, by that act they de-
clared their desire that this nation
should walk softly" but at the same
time should carry big stick. .
They utterly repudiated the peace
without honor of Judge Parker, and
the whole company that tried to scare
the country INTO the belief that an
alert and aggressive President was
dangerous to this Republic. They
shared exactly the Presidents desire
for peace, but to be ready, if need be
for war.
Mr. Taggart, at the banquet on
Tuesday night, gave some reasons why
the Democracy was beaten last year
but he did not give tie real one
which was that the people utterly re.
pudiated the expressed desire of the
Democratic leaders who, last year,