The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-12-05
PRESIDENTS PETS.
Says Nations Navy Is Surest
Guarantee Of Peace.


The Omitted states navy IS the slrest
Fuara-for ~ peace which this country
g. sses-'~ 30 i= enrnestiy 90 Dee v-fsht that
would urorr hy the teachings II history fu
This matter. strong and wise people will
study its own failures no less than its
friurnphs frr there Is wisdom, no Dc learned
from the study of both. o. the mistake as
well % the success For this purpose
nothing could Pc moro instructive than
rational study q the War " 1872. as 90 81
told for instance. by Captain Mahan- There
VAS only one way in which that war could
have been avoided II during the preceding
Twelve years a navy relatively as strong as
that which this country now has had been
QUIZ up. and an army provided relatively
az good that which the country now
has. there never would have been the
slightest necessity Of lighting the war. ana
- the necessity had arisen the war would
under such circumstances have ended with
our speedy and 0vcrv helming triumph But
our people during those twelve years refus-
y, saIalng either the army or the navy
They saved million or two OK dollars by
pe4-s' Hho ~ mere money PAD nun
efea-piu ior each million they thus say Cd
during the three years q which fol
lowed-a way which brought untol1 suffer
lLs upon our people. which 81 one time
threatened the gravcSt national disc ster and
which in spite n the necessity OF waEinE
30. resulted merely fn what was ia effect
"a drawn battle while the balance OF defeat
and triumph was almost even
DO not ask that we continue 20 Increase
our navy ask merely that Il be MAIN
tanned az its present strength; and this
can he done only Il We replace the obsolete
the equals OF any aroar In any navy To
stop building ships for one year means
that tor that year the navy goes back In
stead ~ forward The old oattleship Texas
Tor instance. would now be Of little service
in stand I'D fight with powerful adver-
sary- The old double turret monitors have
outworn their usefulness while IL was "A
waste OF money build the modern single
turfct monitors. All these ships should be
replaced by others. and this can he done
by a We'll settled program Of providing Tor
ne otiiding each year or az least one hrst-
any that any nation u ar the same tnle
building. the armament presumably 70 con-
sist OF as large a number as possible Of
very heavy guns OF one caliber. together
with smaller guns 10 repel torpedo attack;
while there should be heavy armor. turbine
engines. ana in short every modern de-
vice OF course from time 20 time. cruisers.
golfers, torDec boat destroyers or torpedo
boats. will have TO be built also. All this
be II remembered. would not increase our
navy. but would merely keep il at its present
strength FquaiIv Of course the ships viii
be absolutely useless n the men aboard them
are not 50 trained that they can get the
best possible service out Of the fOrmi dable
but delicate and complicated mechanisms
lntrusted 20 their care The craftsmanship
Of our men has so improved during the last
hve years that deem IL within bounds
TO say that the navy IS more than twice
as efficient. ship for ship as half decade
ago. The navy can only attain proper
efficiency ~ enough officers and men are
provided. and II these officers and men are
given the chance (and required 10 take ad-
vantage Of IT'D TO stay continually at sea and
in squadron, the exercise TO be Of every
kind and 20 include unceasing practise at
the guns. conducted under conditions that
viii test craftsmanship in time OF war
In both the army and navy there IS
urgent need that everything possible should
be done 20 maintain the highest standard for
the personnel. alike as regards the officers
and the enlisted men. do not believe
that IN any service there is finer body OF
enlisted men and Of junior officers than
we have In both the army and the navy,
including the marine corps. All possible
NN. oil nN
be given. ina pay and otherwise. and every
thing practicable done to render the SER
vice attractive 20 men OF the hight type
They should be held 20 the strictest dis
charge Of their duty. and In them q spirit
should be encouraged which demands not
tho mere performance or duty. Dut the per
Torrance Of far more than duty. n Il con-
duces to the honor and the interest OF the
American nation; and IN return the amplest
consideration should be theirs
After discussing the efficiency OF West
Point and the Naval Academies, the
President says:
The readiness and efficiency OF both the
army and navy in dealing with che recent
sudden crisis in cuba illustrate afresh their
value TO the nation. This readiness and
efficiency would have been very much less
had II not been for the existence Of tho
general STAFF IN the army and the general
board IN the navy: both are essential 20 the
proper development and use OF our military
forces afoat and ashore The troops that
we're sent to Cuba were handled nawIesslv.
IL was the svvIftest Mobilization and dispatch
OF troops over sea ever accomplished by our
government. The expedition landed COM
pletely equipped and ready for immediate
service. several Of its organization hardly
remaining IN Havana over night before
splitting UP into detachments and going to
their several posts. It was "a fine demon
stration OF the value and efficiency OF the
general star. Similarly Il owing IN
large part q the general board that the
navy was able at the outset 20 meet the
cuban crisis with such instant efficiency
ship after ship appearing on the shortest
notice at any threatened point while the
marine corps In particular performed In
dl4pouqnblo gorsayfcoL ~. IND