Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-05
THE NAVY And ARMY.
Cur Surest Guarantor OF Peace Strong
Navy.

The United States navy is the surest
guarantOr of peace which this country
possesses 1t is earnestly to be wished
that we would profit by the teachings
Of history in this matter. 4 strong
and wise people will study its own fail
ures no less than its triumphs. for
there is wisdom to be learned from the
study Of both, Of the mistake as well
as of the success. For this purpose
nothing could be more instructive than
a rational study of the war of ISL as
it is told. for instance, by Captain
Mahan. There was only one way in
which that war could have been avoid
ed. If during the preceding twelve
wears a navy relatively as strong as
that which this country now has had
been built up and an army provided
relatively as good as that which the
country now has. there never would
have been the slightest necessity OF
fighting the war. and if the necessity
had arisen the war would under such
circumstances have ended with our
speedy and overwhelming triumph.
But our people during those twelve
wears refused to make any prepara-
| tons whatever regarding either the
! army or the navy They saved mil
lion or two Of dollars by so doing ana
u mere money paid hundredfo!d for
.'eu Oh million they thus saved during
ias' three wears Of war which followed
~ ,-ar which brought untold suffering
7ue +b,our people, which at one time
~, ~ for ned the gravest national disas-
, ~, Of wWhich, in spite of the necessity
,iiu Wa. ~ it. resulted merely in what
re- ~ balance,ct a drawn battle, while the
ore most cve}efeat and triumph was al
sod l do not
..oa crease onr that we continue to in
liz II he m,;,y. l ask merely that
strength and ted at its present
o. wo ran1aca .ho can he done only II
%, q" sbins hr ,on, yoletc and outworl
to to equals Of Of any aaSt good ones, The h,
at stop buildings SIPS any n No. ran,
he means that for TIT w. tho nov,
les goes back instead oEorwors RIO NJ,
nd Dattieship Texas, TO instance. voule
lg- now be of little ser'c. in snndu,
Tor hsht with a powerfula'versary. TIL,
by Old double turret moitrs have ont
he worn their usefulness. villa II VOC
IN waste of money to build ba moder,
m single turret monitors. All Zoo shir
m should be replaced by oherson th
can be done by a vel setl,d nro
gramme Of providing for the L,,d;p,
at each year of at least one first .los
NJ battleship equal in size and spec r
m any that any nation is ut the sa.
ly time building, the armament presur
n ably to consist of as large numb
al as possible Of very heavy guns Of OF
at caliber, together with smaller guns
tn repel torpedo attack. while the
IS, should be heavy armor, turbine G
lie gines and, in short. every modern q
Id vice. OF course from time to tin
il, cruisers, golfers, torpedo boat destro
al ers or torpedo boats will have to |
s built also. All this, be it remembers,
is would not increase our navy. br
is would merely keep it at its preser
g strength. Equally, of course, the shir
a. Will be absolutely useless if the me
IT ABOARD them are not so trained tina
:. they can get the best possible servic
L out of the formidable but delicate an
b complicated mechanisms intrusted +
Q thelr care. The craftsmanship Of on
e men mas SO improved during the las
L I'VE years that deem it within bound
s 10 say that the navy is more thai
twice as efficient, ship for ship. as hal
+ Il decade ago. The navy can only at
+ tam proper efficiency if enough Officers
ana men are provided and if thes,
: onlcers ana men are given the chanc.
!. tand required to take advantage of If
: 10 stay continually at sea and to exer
else the fleets singly and above all i,