Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1906-12-05

6Iuuy VI DOIAi VI TIC uAStdhO 90 WCA
as Of the success. For this purpose
nothing could be more instructive than
a rational study of the war Of 1912 as
It Is told. for. instance, by Captain
Mahan. There was only one way in
which that war could have been avoid
ed. II during the preceding twelve
years 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 II the necessity
had arisen the war would under such
circumstances have ended with our
speedy and overwhelming triumph.
But our people during those twelve
years refused to make any prepare
lions whatever regarding either the
army or the navy. They saved mil
lion or two Of dollars by so doing and
in mere money paid hundredfold for
each million they thus saved during
the three years of war which followed
"A war which brought untold suffering
upon our people, which at one time
threatened the gravest national disas-
ter and which, In spite Of the necessity
OF waging II. resulted merely In what
was in effect drawn battle, while the
balance of defeat and triumph vas al
most even.
I do not ask that we continue to In
crease our navy. l ask merely that
II be maintained at It's present
strength. and this can be done only II
we replace the obsolete and outworn
ships by new and good ones, the
EQUALS Of any afoat in any navy. To
stop buildings ships for one year
means that for that year the navy
goes Back instead OF forward. The old
battleshIp Texas. for instance, would
now be OF little service In a standup
fght with a powerful adversary. The
old double turret monitors have out
worn their usefulness. while 1t was
waste OF money to build the modern
single turret monitors. All these ships
should be replaced by others. and this
can be done by a we'll settled pro
gramme OF providing for the building
each year Of at least one first class
battleship equal In size and speed 10
any that any nation Is at the same
time building. the armament presum-
ably 10 consist OF as large number
as possible OF very heavy guns OF one
caIIber. together with smaller guns to
repel torpedo attack, while there
should be heavy armor, turbine en-
gines and, In short. every modern de-
vice. or course from time TO time
cruisers. GOLFERS, torpedo boat destroy
ers or torpedo boats will have TO be
built also. All this. be II remembered
would not Increase our navy but
would merely keep II at Its present
strength. Equally. OF course. the ships
win be absolutely useless II the men
aboard them are not 30 trained that
they can get the best possible service
ont Of the formidable but delicate and
complicated mechanisms Entrusted 70
their care. The Workmanship OF our
men has 90 improved during the last
Ave years that deem II within bounds
20 say that the navy IL more thar
twice a. ehicient. ship for ship. a. hall
a decade ago. The navy can only at
tain proper efficiency n enough officers
and men are provided and " thss'
officers and men are gwen the ehanc'
land required 20 take advantage OF IL
70 STAY continually at zee and TO exer
else che fleets slngiy and above all u
sauadron. the exercise % b. Of ever
kind and 20 include unceaslng pFhctic'
AZ the guns conducted under oondi
lions that will test markGmanship u
time Of war.
Nslntsin High STANDARD.
In both the army and the navy TIER
n urgent need that everything posaibi
] shouid be- done TO maintain the h1gbss
standard Tor the personnel alike as ~
p 1arts the oeacerz and the enlisied nsa
; + 40 20, believe that In any serVie
. ! there ts a hner body % enlisted me
p and AZ Junior Oeicsrs than We have
/ both the army and the navy. ioeindin
{ the marine corps All possible sne0a'
, svqment 20 the enlis;sd men Should o
{ girvn IN pay and Otherwise and even
/ thtng praeficabls done - render th
= szrvses attractive 20 men - the Hgh
p typa Thsy should - bed 70 th
. str,ctsst discharge q their dB'y. hna
, tbem q spirit shguld - snco1raEe
}. vbieh 6enands uot TIE msrs rerfora
49, Of duty. bat TIE Psrforlancs
\ lar more than duty n y eoaa'esa
, the baaar and ths in'sfrsi - ths 49,
!. -. - nrA b Nun ths aye