The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-03-03
SERIOUS CONDITIONS
Park Benjamin, all Old Graduate, Points
Out the Needs of the Navy.

New orleans states. IL OuF navy L
to be brought up to stand of unex
celled efficiency there will be need o
something more than the voting by Con
gress of $Ioo, appropriations an
nually. IL the Independent, Mr.. Parl
Benjamin, an old graduate of the Naya
Academy, sharply attacks the position
taken by the advocates of big ships ant
justifies the contention of Congressman
Burton that what the navy needs mos
is the betterment of the personnel anc
equipment. Mr. Benjamin calls atten
ton to the fact that, according to Official
statements, great need is a genera
staff, the lack of which would probably
mean our defeat in the early stages of d
serious war that the navy has not prac-
ticed and that it is without a trust
worthy reserve to fall back upon in ar
emergency.
Lieutenant Ridley Mclean recently
called attention to the fact that the navy
in Ioo5Ioo6 lost so per cent of its
trained gunners, while IL per cent of the
enlisted men deserted last year, together
with 10 or IA per cent of the marines
This is serious loss of trained mate
rial. but it is only one of a number OF
bad conditions with which the navy is
afflicted. The admission is made that
there is no adequate reserve of guns and
ammunition, and that not until 1910 will
there be sufficient ammunition on hand
to fill the fleets magazines more than
one time.
This statement has been given out by
the navy's chief of ordnance, but more
astonishing is his assertion that Our bat
tleships are so faulty in their construc-
ton. and the space provided for projec-
tiles 50 limited that the ammunition Oh
board, under certain conditions of battle,
would be exhausted in something less
than an hour. There are not, he says,
torpedoes enough to supply the torpedo
used by the Japanese are wholly lack
ing In addition, there is no efficient
system of fire control and the supply of
dry docks is wholly ina 'equate, hence
this chief of ordnance has reached the
conclusion that our ships are unfit for
battle. 1t is all very sad in view of the
fact that Congress has just voted two
more 100000 battleships. and Presi-
dent Roosevelt has for six years been
preaching interesting sermons about the
great virtue of preparedness. Yet
millions pour ont of the treasury III
streams and we are still very long way
from being prepared.
The condition of the navy as present
ed is not surprising. The navy Of the
United States had deteriorated into a
plight, until new life was
infused into it in the days of Tilden by
the Democracy of the nation. 1t will not
be gainsaid that the revival in the navy
must be credited to Democrats in Con-
gress Since the millions have been
wasted in wanton profligacy under the
administration of Republicans who have
had control of the government for years.
In brief, the Republican record is not
able chiefly for its extravaganza and
wastefuness 1t is under the Republican
dominancy that great wealth has been
placed in the hands of the few 1t is to
the so-called protection, as designed by
that trusts and combines
have been fostered and are today indi
rectly exercising control over the gov
ernment of this Republic. Perhaps it
was due to this deplorable condition of
the navy which led Japan to browbeat
Roosevelt i'll the school issue of Cali
fornia
Is it not about time the people were
being aroused to their danger and to
their duty?
If the United States should be kept
in control of the dominant party, in less
than twenty years the United States, as
founded by the Fathers, will exist in
name only. 1t is not an army which is
needed in the United States, but pow
erfully efficient navy which shall give
assurance against the aggression of
Japan or other nations and which shall
the respect of the world.