The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1907-12-04


lesser islands in the Pacific. We are
steadily prosecuting the great work of
uniting at the ISthmus the waters of the
Atlantic and the Pacific. To greater
extent than seemed probable even
dozen years ago, we may look to an
American future on the sea worthy of
the tradition of our past. AS the first
step in that direction, and the step most
feasible at the present time, recommend
the extension of the ocean mail act of
1891. That act has stood for some years
free from successful criticism of it's prn-
ciple and purpose. 1t was based on theo-
ries of the obligations of a great mari
time nation, undisputed in our own land
and followed by other nations since the
beginning of steam navigation. Briefly
those theories are, that it is the duty of
first-class Power SO far as practicable
to carry its ocean mails under its own
flag; that the fast ocean steamships and
their crews, required for such mail serv-
Ice, are valuable auNiliaries to the sea
power of nation. Furthermore, the
construction of such steamships insures
the maintenance in an efficient condition
of the shipyards in which our battleships
must be built.
The expenditure of public money for
the performance of such necessary func-
lions of government is certainly war
ranted, nor is it necessary to dwell upon
the incidental benefits to our foreign
commerce, to the shipbuildng industry,
and to ship owning and navigation which
will accompany the discharge of these
urgent public duties, though they, too,
should have weight.
The only serious question is whether at
this time we can afford to improve our
ocean mail service as it should be i'm
proved. All doubt on this subject is re-
moved by the reports of the Post Office
Department. For the fiscal year ended
hat he, arf,,, foe
that the postage collected on the articles
exchanged with foreign countries other
than Canada and Mexico amounted to
S6,579,043.4S or $3,G37 ,226.s1 more than
the net cost of the service exclusive of
the cost of transporting the articles be-
tween the United States exchange post
offices and the United States postotfices
at which they We're mailed or delivered.
In other words the Government of the
United States, having assumed monop-
oily of carrying the mails for the people.
is making profit of over $3,600000 by
rendering cheap and inefficient service.
That profit j believe should be devoted
TO strengthening our maritime power in
those directions where it will best pro-
mote our prestige. The country is ia
miliar with the facts of our maritime
impotence in the hafbors of the great
and friendly Republics of South America
Following the failure of the shipbuilding
bill we lost only American line of
steamers to Australasia, and that loss on
the Pacific has become serious embar-
rassment to the people of Hawaii and
has wholly cut off the Samoan Islands
from regular communication with the
Pacific coast. Puget Sound, in the YEAR
has lost over half (four out of seven) of
its American steamers trading with the
Orient.
We now pay under the act of 1891 S4
a statute mile outward to 20-knot Amer
lean mail steamships, built according to
naval plans, available as cruisers, and
manned by Americans Steamships of
that speed are confined exclusively to
transatlantic trade with New York To
steamships of 16 knots or over only 50 a
mile can be paid and it is steamships of
this speed and type which are needed to
meet the requirements of mail service to
South America. Asia dncluding the Phil
lppines) and Australia strongly rec
ommend, therefore, a simple amendment
to the ocean mail act of 1891 which shall
authorize the Postmaster-Ge in his
discretion to enter into contracts for the
transportation of mails to the Republics
of South America to Asia, the Philip
pines. and Australia al a rate not to en-
coed $4 mile for steamships of l6 knots
speed or upwards subject to the restric-
lions and obligations of the act of 1891
The profit of $3,600,000 which has been
mentioned will fully cover the maximum
annual expenditure involved in this rec
concentration, and it is believed will in
time establish the lines SO urgently need
ed. The proposition involves no new
principle, but permits the efficient dis
charge of public functions now made
quately performed or not performed at
all.
Asks for Increase in
the Army Appropriations.
Not only there is not now but there
"a nth d.,
world SO wholly free from the evils of
militarism as is ours. There never has
been any other large nation, not even
China, which for SO long period has had
relatively to its numbers so small reg
ular army as has ours Never at any
time in our history has this Nation suf-
fered from militarism or been in the re-
hottest danger of suffering from mlitar-
ism. Never at any time of our history
has the Regular Army been of a size
which caused the slightest apprecia BILE
tax upon the taX-paying citizens of the
Nation. Almost always it has been too
small in size and underpaid Never in
our entire history has the Nation suffered
in the least particular because too much
care has been given to the Army, too
much prominence given it, too much
money spent upon it, or because 1t has
been too large. But again and again We
have suffered because enough care has
not been given to it, because it has
been too small, because there has not
been sufficient prepa ration in advance for
possible war. Every foreign war in
which we have engaged has cost us many
times the amount which. if wisely ex-
pended during the preceding years of
peace on the Regular Army, would have
insured the war ending in but a frac-
ton of the time and but for fraction of
the cost that was actually the case AS
a Nation we have always been short
sighted in providing for the efficiency of
the Army in time of peace. 1t is no.
body's especial interest to make such
provision and no one looks ahead to war
at any period, no matter how remote,
as being a serious possibility; while an
improper economy, or rather niggardli-
ness, can be practiced at the expense of
the Army with the certainty that those
practicing 1t will not be called to account
therefor. but that the price will be paid
by the unfortunate persons who happen
to be in office when a war does actually
come.
think it is only lack of foresight that
troubles us. not any hostility to the
Army There are, of course foolish peo-
Pile who denounce any care of the Army
or Navy as 'militarism,' but do not
think that these people are numerous