The Washington times., 1905-03-24
FRIDAY, MARCH "a, 1895.
Is 1t Time to Go Slow?


doubted friend Of the new navy. He
has proven his friendship for it by
serving it Loyalty as Secretary of the
Navy. The progress made in develop
ing it during his term of Office COM
pares favorably with that made by
It's founder, William c. Whitney.
The Hon. Eugene Hale, of Maine, as
chairman Of the Senate Committee on
Naval Affairs, is also proven friend
of the new navy. His friendship has
also been put to the test of service
in its behalf He also has contribut-
ed to its progress, not only during the
Long administration Of the Navy De-
partment, but during the Whitney adj
ministration, and all that have fol-
lowed
Yet, both Of these men have gone
on record, fatty, against the present
rate of increase in the number OF
ships. Senator Hale, out of Difference
to his post and his relations to the
Administration, ventuTed to speak
only in sarcasm His address was,
however, sensational. Among other
trenchant observations, he described
the new navy as q club to bully
weaker nations. And now comes ex-
Secretary Long with an equally char
acteristic and equally strong. state
ment in the Independent along the
same lines.
Cautiously and forcefully the for
mer Secretary points out the rapid
growth of the navy during the past
few years, and the equally rapid in
crease in it's cost On the former
point he says:
There are, as learn from Senate docu-
ment No. III, some 265 vessels fit for
service, including IA battleships and ar
mored cruisers, is protected cruisers
and variety of gunboats, torpedo boats
and monitors. and various other craft
There are also some II vessels authoriz-
ed or under construction, among which
are protected cruisers, 10 armored
cruisers. and IA first-class battleships
BattfeshipS and cruisers are practically
equally large and effective, and are each
from IL, 600 TO II, 500 tons. In other words
we have already twice as many of these
great ships authorized or under con
gtruction as are now in service Thi.
is very rapid and expensive rate OF
Increase.
His showing as to the expense Is
not less effective. IN 1893, when tht
Spanish war was in progress, the navy
appropriations were something lik,
SIPS, 900, 900; in 1899, when the quiveI
OF war was still on, So, 000,0 600; il
1900, $50 ,0O0,0 900; in 1901, $4,000, 900
Last year, 1905 they were over s1U3,
100000, almost as much as durins
the war with Spain; this year abou
the same
And this is not all. There are sew
eral paragraphs devoted to the us,
of this larger navy which we al
ought to read and ponder In on,
of them he says:
Being for the present in less deman,
in the Orient. our ships find employ
ment in drill and maneuver. and Their
is also tendency, of course, to gathe
and then a big one. at any point wher
the telegraph suggests that there ha
Deen a riot or an uprising or threa
OF change of government In some O
the countries south of u.s.
Naval officers feel under obligation
10 pursue the very proper policy of pro
tectiiiS American interests, and so ar
led to take hand. In other words, w
run Just now the risk of getting on
finger into too many pies, with a chanc
OF burning 1t, and wisdom and prudenc
suggest the opposite trend toward re
serve and self-restraint and toward be
Ing very sure that IL is our own busi
ness which eve are minding.
AS has been said, this argument b,
ex-Secretary Long should be CAREFUL
read and pondered. But it should no
stand alone. The people of the coun
try must remember, also, that mel
OF the same friendship for the navy
OF equal devotion to the country
and of corresponding judgment. hol
strongly to the opposite opinion
President Roosevelt and Secretar,
Morton are the most prominent, an,
The Times will be much surprised /
one of them does not make forcefu
answer