The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-12-03
LARGER NAVY NEEDED.
Appropriation For Four New BattIeships
Strongly Recommended.

It was hoped The Hague conference
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 limita ton 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
vanced type year would barely keep
our fleet 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
~ deficient in coaling stations and
docks on the Pacific, and this defcien-
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 fortifca-
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 osfense.
The only way in which it can efficient
~ protect oar own coast against the
possible action Of a foreign navy is by
destroying that foreign navy. For de-
Tense against a hostile feet 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 thoroughly efficient navy
capable of acting on the offensive. for
parrying never yet won fight 1t cam
only be won by hard hitting, and ans
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
enemy's fleet. If Notifications are suf-
venture to attack them so long as the
foe has in existence hostile navy of
anything like the same size or efiicien-
cy. But unless there exists such
navy then the Notifications are power
less by themselves to secure the vic
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
mo..ed to the Pacific, just as at other
times it should be kept in the Atlantic.
When tie isthmian canal is built the
transit Of the battle fleet from one
ocean to tie os,.er will be comparative
~ easy. U.,1il it is built I earnestly
hope thct the battle feet will be thus
shifted between the two oceans every
year o.. two. The craftsmanship on
all ouc ships has improved plenome-
nally during the last five years. Until
within the last two or three years it
was not possible to train battle fleet
in squadron maneuvers under service
conditions, ard 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 striGe in advance is now be-
ing taken The battle fleet is about
by the strait of Magellan to
visit the Pacific coast. Sixteen bat
tleships are going under the command
Of Rear Admiral Evans, while eight
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
ever made such q voyage, and it will
be of very great educational use to
all engaged in IT. The only ysv bv.