Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1907-12-06
LARGER NAVY NEEDED.

LARGER NAVY NEEDED.
Appropriation For Pour New Battleehipa
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
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 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.
D,,4 to b.
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
docks on the Pacific, and this deficien-
cy should not longer be permitted to
exist. Plenty of torpedo boats and de-
sroyers 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
Gent use for the navy is for offense.
The only way in which it can efficient
~ protect our own coast against the
possible action of 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 vet won fight It 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 he kept
together and their objective made the
enemy's feet. If fertilization are suf-
ficiently, strong no modern navy win
venture to attack them so long as the
foe has in. existence a hostile navy of
anything like the same size or eficien-
cy. But unless there exists such a
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 t5 with ls the Sc certainty that
Until our battle feet is much larger
than at present 1t should never be split
into detachments 30 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
slantic. The interests OF California,
Oregon and Washington are aa en-
Ephatically the interests Of the whole
Union as those OF Maine ana New
York, of Louisiana and Texas. The.
battle feet should now and then be
moved to the Pacific, Just as at other.
times It should he kept In the Atlantic.
When the isthnaian canal is built the
transit Of the battle fleet from one
ocean to the other VIII be comparative-
~ easy. Until 1t Is built I earnestly
hope that the battle feet win be thus
shifted between the two oceans every
year two The craftsmanship on
all our ships has inap roved phenome-5
snalIF during the last i've years. Until:
within the last two or three years I'll
vas not posslbl to train a battle feet
In squadron N aneuvers under service;
Scond itions and 1t lis only during these
last two ~ three years that the train;
Ing under these eond lions has become
REALLY effectiye Another and most
necessary stride ID advance Is now BE- BE-
ing ken The battle feet Ii ~ bout
starting HE strait 81 ssIageIlan III
visit the Pacific coast. 81 Sixteen bar
fleships are going und Ter the command
sfaf IN ri m - !, y,