Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-12-04
THE NAVY AND ARMY.
Our Surest Guarantor of Peace a 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 a strong
and wise people will study its own fail
ures no less than its triumphs. for
there is wisdom to he learned from the
study of both, of the mistake as we'll
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. If 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 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
years refused TO make any prepare
tons whatever regarding either the
army or the navy. They saved n mil
lion or two of dollars by so doing and
in mere money paid Il 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 graycst national dfsas-
ter and which, in spite of the necessity
of waCing it. resulted merely in what
was in effect q drawn battle. while the
balance of defeat and triumph was al
most even.
I do not ask that we continue to in
crease our navy. ask merely that
it be maintained at it's present
and this can be done only if
we replace the obsolete and outworn
ships by new and good ones, the
equals of any afloat 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 Il standup |
fight With a powerful adversary. The :
old double turret monitors have out /
worn their usefulness, while it 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 q well settled pro-
gramme of providing for the building
each year of at least one first class
equal in size and speed to
any that any nation is at the same
time building. the armament presum
HI 20 se-N - Iot. Iknr-
rs possible of very heavy guns of one
,aliber. together with smaller guns to
repel torpedo attack. while there +
should be heavy armor. turbine en-
sines and. in short. every modern de-
vice. OF course from time to time
.ruisers, Golfers. torpedo boat destroy
ers or torpedo boats will have to be
built also. All this, be 1t remembered.
would not increase our navy. but
would merely keep 1t at its present
strength. Equally. of course. the ships
will be absolutely useless If the men
lboard them are not so trained that
hey can get the best possible service
nut of the formidable but delicate and
mechanismS intrusted TO
heir care. The craftsmanship of our
nen has SO improved during the last
i've years that deem it within bounds ,
o say that the navy is more than
vice as efficient, ship for ship. as half ,
decade ago. The navy can only at
ain proper efficiency If enough officers
nd men are provided and If these
Ulcers and men are given the chance
and required to take advantage OF IT.
D stay continually at sea aud TO exer- !
Use the fleets singly and above all in ,