The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-12-03
The NAVY AND ARMY.
Our Surest Guarantor of Peace a Strong
Navy.


The United States navy is the surcst
Cuarantor of peace which this country
possesses. 1t IS earnestly to be wished
that we would profit by the teachings
OF history I'm this matter \ 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 rs we'll
as of the success. For this purpose
nothing could be more instructive than
a rational study of the war of 1912 as
1t 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 navy relatively rs 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.
years refused to make any prcpara-
tions whatever regarding either the
army or the navy. They saved a 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
,t-li OF
threatened the gravest national disas-
ter and which, IN spite Of the necessity
Of wagins II, resulted merely In what
was In effect drawn battle, while the
balance Of defeat and triumph was al
most even.
| do not ask that we continue to in
crease our navy. | ask merely that
1t be maintained at its present
strength, ana this can be done only II
we replace the obsolete ana outworn
ships by new and good ones. the
equals of any alOat In any navy. To
stop buildings ships for one year
means that for that year the navy
goes back instead Of forward. The old
battl2ship Texas, for instance, would
fight with a powerful adversary. The
old double turret monitors have out
worn their usefulness, while 1t was n
waste OF money 10 build the modern
single turrct monitors. All these ships
should be replaced by others, ana this
can be done 10y a we'll settled pro-
grammc of providing for the building
oh ..f st 81,
battlcship equal in size and speed to
any that any nation is nj the same
time building. the armament presum-
ably to consist OF as large number
as possible Of very heavy guns of one
calibcr, together with smaller guns to
repel torpedo attack. while there
should be heavy armor, turbine en-
gnes and, In short, every modern de-
vice. or course from time TO time
cruisers, colliers, torpedo boat destroy
crs or torpedo boats VII have to be
built also. All this, be It remembered,
would not Increase our navy. but
would merely keep II at its present
strength. Equally, OF course, the ships
will be absolutely useless II the men
"''"iu 'H''I "lc Hot 81 llulHeu tnat
they can get the best possible service
out of the formidable but delicate and
mechansms iutrusted TO
their care. The craftsmanship of our
men has so improved during the last
five years that | deem II within bounds
TO say that the navy Is more than
twice as efficient, ship for ship, as half
n decade ago. The navy can only at
tain proper efficiency II enough officers
and men are provided and II these
officers and men are given the chance
land required TO take advantage OF IN
to stay continually at sea and to exer.
else the fleets singly and above all In
Continued on fourth page)