Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-01-18
REAL STRENGTH lsIA BIG FIGHTERS
He Believes In Submarines, lTefnsdo
Boa. oss.royers and :AasRaass.
But the one arsa. Tihnsi ths, NV,
shou's Have ID The aIs:fsll|s!4,,:0,
tho Dreadnoasht. Class. \ 81 q.
Gay Associated pfsss.,

VhofiiNHiONt -. o., JAM r.
President Roosevelt his written. ia a
letter to Chairman FossI ,otj.: tho
naval affairs committed. ,argihgYthat
an appropriation should be tinde TOR
two first cluss battlsshlps 81 fEe
minimum size and speed aud Wild
primary batteries. nil uf. ts; ,ihsh
guns. The letter statesf, that, III
addition to the battlcshtps prdyided
for last year Of the Dreaahoiisht
class another should be pfoYlasi
for this year without, fall. ;The
President also urges the building
of torpedo boat deatroyers. ~
ut must be renenDeredi@ lths
Presideat says, that am not s,sk.
Ing for my ipefsase' In, the navy.
kbecause 5titiass we can provide at
the rate .0f battleship nor year
i9ur navy will. go backward, !. As6ta
tpsesi ! am Advising that our money,
be spent, economically II u ias aaens
"a waste on money to- !!iproylss sns ~
ships as the single, tlfrek arhbbfii.8
tors and while The cruisers, i s ana
especially the great arInorad ernjs. (
crs are necessary, 1t would never.
theless be Infinitely better to have
spent the money which hctualiy
was spent on them In the constftic.
ton OF first class battleships. Our
armored cruisers are IA expensive to
build and maintain as battleshtps,
Real Strength ls In BattIeships.
~ thoroughly believe in deyeIup.,
Ing ana building an adequate mum.
Der Of submarines. ] believe In build
Ing torpedo boat destroyers; there
must be few. fast scouts, ami
of course, various auxiliary vessels
OF different kinds, But the atrensth
of the navy rests primarily upon
It's battleships. and in building these
battlcshlps II Is lmperatlyely neo.,
essary' from the standpoint alike
of efficiency and econoauy, that they
should be the best OF their kind.
"ln MY judgement SO, are not Ito
be excused II we bufTd any battia.
ships Interior to those now being
built by other nations. I should
be glad II Limitation could Se
put by International agreement as To
the size OF the battleships hereafter
to be built. l have found, however.
that 1t will undoubtedly be imprac-
ticable to secure any agreement In
the near future. In the frsts. nlass
navies generally these big battle;
ships have already been built z
are now being built. We eahIiot
afford to fall behind and We sifaii
fall behind II we fail to build first
class battleshlps ourselves. ~ t, .S
Fighting Fleet Necessity. is;
Unless we intend to 20 ON bliid...
ing up the feet. we. should sbRiidbn
every effort to keep the poaltte,i
which we now hold whether i'd
the Pacific ocean Or ID Ainsritan
waters generally. Our 3pstifcatipni
for upholdlns the, Mdnroe doctfann
and for digging the Panama: canal
must rest primarily upon. our Riliiag.
ness to Du!ld and maintain al fitat
class fighting feetS Be aAit
bered, moreover, that aieh # L s as
is by far the most potent iata 81 yssSf
peace which this nation, 1iass OIL ..pshl
over have" 4 n 4 i. 80 q
The President then gives at iehsk!st
his reasons for the belief iii. the
advantage Of battleships 81 81 .ixrra4
displacement with their priniar
terles all Of one type of Dig tsiAhs,
as compared with all other hshtsbs
craft. i.s.,3 Y