New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-10
NEED OF BATTLESHIPS.
Rear admiral MelUiHe Urges ReR-
ance ON Them for Nary.
rBy releraph to The Tribune.


Philadelphia Jan. AT the meeting of the So
cety Of Foreign Wars tonight Rear Admiral
George W. Melville. responding TO the toast The
Navy OF the United States" after glowing tribute
the personnel of the service and its magnificent
record for over hundred years. warmly advocated
reliance heavy batteships for peace or war He
said:
AS regards the materiel, it has been pretty well
demonstrated, not necessarily by the naval powers
in the Far East but by the experience Of the great
naval powers of the world, that next to perfectly
loyal, well disciplined personnel-that even now as
In the days Of Nelson Brttains greatest admiral 1
but the battlehp and the more OF them, the larger
and speedier the better
there special for ships of nearly all classes
in time Of war-the armored cruiser. the protected
cruiser, the scout ship. the destroyer and torpedo
boat, even the submarine to act as .scarecrow,
In the battle line and give and take blows Is the
battleship with the heaviest guns and armor pro
lection though it measures UP to 1900 or even to
There was an eminent English critic Of the battle
cease. and he further hoped that the cost would
Hons could indulse in such extensive iuxiIries
commend the sagacty Of our English friend, for
WoFlds goods than America Who is Better abe
to pay the bisxto construct. equip and maintain
It may? And who better equipped in brain
Drawn. intelligence and loyalty than the American
II is distressing at times to read in our public
qualif1ed TO express an opinion on these most i'm
Portant matters fortunately. our people are en-
OF all branches OF the navy that well equipped
to design and build ships OF all classes and though
our building programme has been very rapid and
very extensive during the last twenty years. can
not recall ship that has been what flip
pant critics of navy times apt to desig-
nate as a total failure" These two words seem
to ill the mouth OF the critics nicely. not too
large, not too small for thern-but misleading to
the newspaper reading American people. I
happy say that there has not been snip
designed by the Navy Department that would come
under that designation. We have only been affiict-
ed at times with what termed ghost ships"
'crank ships" and with other devices where the
ever hopefll inventor expected the impossibe-that
is 10 get something for nothing.
But let the cost of the navy be what it may, as
long as nations, like men. are corbative animals
~ ia necessary that should have efficient armies
and navy to stand guard against the wolf
tions OF the earth For you viii find that nations
iike men are your nearest and dearest friends until
their interest lies in another direction Then the
in,,iTp brother becomes the wolf. And. as a rule
a nation must be either wolf or sheep nation;
and believe had better be the wolf even
though muzzled. and held in the leash not for war
SO mich as for the assurance of peace And then
n will he as IL Is now and 1t has been the his
tory Of our nation. but the simple truth to say:
Thaf the American navy, in its material in its
personneI-ship for ship. ton for ton. man for man
and e1;n for gUn-the navy OF the United States
has no superior on the face OF the globe!