Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-02-23
BONAPARTE ON The NAVY
Member Of Cabinet Talks on the Subject
at Baltimore.
MONEY NECESSARY FOR EFFECTIVE SHIPS
In Peace Drills mud Practice Con-
sumo Guns and Ammunition
While New Devices In
crease the Expense.

crease the Expense.
BALTIMORE, Feb. 22.-The thirtieth an
nual commemoration day of the Johns
Hopkins university was celebrated today.
Secretary OF the Navy Bonaparte deliv-
cred the principal address.
On the I'D of February one can hardly
doubt that however forgetful it nay be. or
seem to be, of his words in moments OF
distraction, the American people would
order its national life woull mould us
traditional policy with the cuunsels of
Washington. |, answer therefore the first
of the two questions l have rrefixed to
this little paper by saying that we need
our navy to make and keep ourselves such
a nation as Washington hoped and be.
lieved VIC should become to assure what
he called the rank due to these United
States among nations" not to the matter
Of vanity. but as needful to cur safety
and our credit, as at once the measure
and the sanction of our national duty 70
| mankind.
| To understand its fun mission, however
we must constantly bear in mind that the
navy is essentially a branch of the coun-
| trys military strength. 1t exists that 1t
| may fight If need be, and to be really use
| full 1t must be sufficiently strong and sufh-
| cientl" prepared for it's work to meet al
| any moment any enemy it might be, ac-
cording to an reasonable probability, called
upon to encounter. We need such a navy,
| because, again in the words of Washing
ton, ITO secure peace II must be known
that at all times we are ready FOR war"
Navy Costs Money.
Tho same thought gives us answer to
my second question. The navy needs what
it ought to have and. indeed, must have
! to do its work and to DO it well.
In the first place, it needs a great deal
of money for modern warfare is already
very expensive and grows more expensive
daily. l may note here few features of
the situation, features of which civilian
can hardly appreciate the significance until
he has been brought into personal con-
tact with naval interests and naval prob
lens. Our present smokeless powder re-
quires some six months after II is made
TO he really fit for use A war must be
well nigh fought out now therefore with
the stock of powder on hand when it is
declared. The tremendous energy of this
| same powder affects the guns in which
| 1t is used that after certain number OF
discharges, these cease to be trustworthy
and must go into a sort of gun hospital
| for treatment. The matter is more serious
because in all navies target practice has
been developed on' scale but lately I'M
heard of. so that we use up guns while
teaching our men how to use them. More
over. modern ship of war and especially
a battleship has become an immense re-
pository of the most varied, the most pow
erful, the most complicated ana the most
delicate machinery. Not only does this
machinery need constant attention and fire.
duent repairs under the most favorable
circumstances. but the progress of me-
chan,cal invention is continually super
ceding parts of it with new devices. which
are often very costly. but must be in
stalled in our ships il these not to fall
behind their possible adversaries.
Capable workmen Needed.
We must have also worllmen OF tried
skill and long experience to deal with
such machinery, and IL We lose them a.
our navy yards. it is by no means certain
that we can get them back at short notice.
This fact renders a reduction of force at
these yards public calamity, as we'll as a
private hardship.
For all these reasons and many more
besides an enlightened and patriotic public
opinion will, ! fell confident sustain the
legislative branch of our national govern
ment in a policy of discriminating and
judicious liberality towards the navy; and
1t will also understand that the navy's
necessities cannot be fixed in advance.
To give it $4,000 o when it will be
cripped if it ought to have s1100OO,OOO, will
be rather waste of the slOO.OOO.O0O. rather
than q saving of the $l0,O000O0.
The second great need of the navy i.
to my mind thorough and unsparing, but
fair and intelligent criticism. Every per-
son in the service and especially the sec.
! | tS head ia ota
of perfectly free comment for all the
l organs of public opinion. If this hurts hi.
feelings, he must get used to having then
hurt, indeed, II he is even Approximately
the right man in the right place, he will
welcome such criticism. however, unpalate
able for a moment, as salutary medicine
valuable aid In his appointed work Blu
. the duty of fair criticism has a negativ,
no less than positive side. it forbids un
! fair criticism and criticism is surely unfai,
! when based on wilful Misrepresentation OF
Y voluntary ignorance of material facts
: Needs Public Sympathy
5 Finally, my friends, the navy needs
T needs perhaps more imperatively thar
: aught else, an assurance that the publ,
+ sympathizes with its work, that the publ,
2 knows and feels its value &c the nation
P To recruit our sea service We have neve
We trust with confidence which IN,
1 event has hitherto justified, to tn,
patriotism and military spirit of our sea
, faring folk for the additional men W,
! shall need i'm the event of war In tim,
of peace, however, We must make ou
service attractive to men such as we shall
need in war, We hope for trained sailor
when that time shall come. Doubtless thi
means a heavy expense, but it means
| something besides expense. The men W,
, seek and of late, have in large measure
secured. will not subject themselves to tn
restrainsts OF naval discipline unless the!
feel that as a sailor they can retain thei
self-respect and earn the esteem of thel
fellow men. To treat these men as out
:, casts when they come ashore is TO crippl
our ships more surely than If their gun
d were disabled or If their engines put on
. | OF gear: the men behind the guns the mel
to handle and feed the engines, are tn
most truly vital factors in their efficiency
l. and such men must now be trained no
for days or weeks. but for months an,
u years. in time OF peace. il they are to b
l. Of more use than hindrance In time O
war.
ICE STOPS RAILROAD TRAIN!