Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-12-03
LARGER NAVY NEEDED.
Appropriation For Four New Battleships
Strongly Recommended.

might deal with the question of the
limitation of ornaments, but even be-
fore it had assembled informal in
quiries had developed that as regards
naval ornaments, the only ones in
which this country had any interest, it
was hopeless to try to devise any plan
for which there was the slightest pos
sibility of securing the assent of the
nations gathered at The Hague. No
plan was even proposed which would
have had the assent of more than one
first class power outside of the United
States The only plan that seemed at
all feasible, that of limiting the size
of battleships, met with no favor at
all. 1t is evident, therefore. that it is
folly for this nation to base any hope
of securing peace on any international
agreement as to the limitation of arma
ments. Such being the fact, it would
be most unwiSe for us to stop the up
building of our navy. To build one
battleship of the best and most ad
vanced type a year would barely keep
our feet up to its present force. This
is not enough. In my Judgment, we
should this year provide for four bat
tleships. But it is idle to build battle
ships unless in addition to providing
the men and the means for thorough
training we provide the auXiliarieS for
them, unless We provide docks, the
coaling stations, the Golfers and supply
ships that they need. We are extreme
ly deficient iii cOaling stations and
cy should not longer be permitted to
exist Plenty of torpedo boats and de-
stroyers should be built. Both on the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts fortifica-
tons of the best type should be pro-
vided for all our greatest harbors.
We need always to remember that
in time of war the navy is not to be
| used to defend harbors and seacoaSt
cities. We should perfect our system
of coast Notifications. The only eff
| cient use for the navy is for offense.
| The only way in which it can efficient
ly protect our own coast against the
possible action of foreign navy is by
destroying that foreign navy. For de-
| Tense against hostile fleet which ac
| tually attacks them the coast cities
must depend upon their forts, mines,
| torpedOes, submarines and torpedo
| boats and deStroyerS. All of these to-
| gether are efficient for defensive pur-
poses, but they in no way supply the
place of a thoroughly efficient navy
capable of acting on the offensive. for
| parrying never yet won Il fight. 1t can
only be won by hard hitting, and an
! aggressive seagoing navy alone can do
this hard hitting of the offensive type.
But the forts and the like are neces-
sary, so that the navy may be foot
loose. In time of war there is sure to
be demand under pressure of fright for
| the ships to be scattered so as to de-
| fend all kind of ports. Under penalty
of terrible disaster this demand must
be refused. The ships must be kept
together and their objective made the
enemys fleet. If Notifications are suf-
| ficfently strong no modern navy will
venture to attack them so long as the
/ foe has In existence hostile navy of
anything like the same size or efficien-
cy. But unless there exists such a
navy then the Notifications are power
tory, for of course the mere deficiency
means that any resolute enemy can
at his leisure combine all his forces
upon one point with the certainty that
he can take it.
Until our battle feet is much larger
than at present it should never be split
into detachments so far apart that they
could not in event of emergency be
speedily united. Our coast line is on
the Pacific just as much as on the At
lantic. The interests of California,
= Oregon and Washington are as en-
phatically the interests of, the whole
Union as those of Maine and New
York, of Louisiana and Texas. The
battle feet should now and then be
moved to the Pacific, just as at other
times 1t should be kept in the Atlantic
When the isthmian canal is built the
transit of the battle feet from one
: ocean to the other will be comparative
ly easy. Until it is built l earnestly
hope that the battle feet will be thus
shifted between the two oceans every
, year or two. The craftsmanship on
all our ships has improved phenome
nally during the last five years. Until
within the last two or three years il
was not possible to train battle fleet
: in squadron maneuvers under service
conditions, and it is only during these
last two or three years that the train
: ing under these conditions has become
: really effective. Another and most
necessary stride in advance is now be
: ing taken. The battle feet is about
: starting by the strait of Magellan t.
: visit the Pacific coast. Sixteen bat
:. tleships are going under the command
! of Rear Admiral Evans, while eight
: armored cruisers and two other battle
: ships will meet him at San Francisco
whittier certain torpedo destroyers are
: also going. No fleet of such size has
5 ever made such a voyage, and it will
| be of very great educational nse t.
: all engaged In it. The only way by
e which to teach officers and men how
: to handle the feet so as to meet every
e possible strain and emergency in time