The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-03

Atlantic and the Pacific. To q greater
extent than seemed probable even a
dozen years ago. We may look to an
American future on the sea worthy
of the traditions of our past. As the
first step in that direction, and the
step most feasible at the present time,
recommend the extension of the
ocean mail act of 1891. That act has
stood for some years free from
successful criticism of its principle
and purpose. 1t was based on theories
of the obligations of a great mari
time nation, undisputed in our land
and followed by other nations since
the beginning of steam navigation.
Briefly those theories are. that it is
the duty of a first class power so far
as practicable to carry its ocean mails
under its own flag; that the fast ocean
steamships and their crews, required
for such mail service, are valuable
auxiliaries to the sea power of a ma
ton. Furthermore. the construction
of such steamships. insures the main
tenance In an efficient condition OF
the shipyards in which our battleships
must be built.
The expenditure of public money
for the performance of such necessary
functions of government is certainly
warranted, nor is it necessary to dwell
upon the incidental benefits to our
foreign commerce. to the shipbuilding
Industry, and to ship owning and
navigation which will accompany the
discharge of these urgent public du-
ties. though they. too. should have
weight.
The only serious question is
whether at this time We can afford
To improve our ocean mail service as
It should be improved. All doubt on
this subject is removed by the re-
ports of the postoffice department
For the fiscal year ended June 80,
1907, that department estimates that
the postage collected on the articles
exchange with foreign countries other
than Canada and Mexico amounted to
$6,579,043.4S, OF $S,637. 226.s1 more
than the net cost of the service ex-
elusive of transporting the articles
between the United States exchange
postoffices and the United States post
offices at which they were mailed or
delivered. In other words. the gov
eminent of the United States, having
assumed a monopoly of carrying the
mails for the people, is making profit
of over s3.60O,00o. by rendering a
cheap and inefficient service. That
profit I believe should be devoted to
strengthening our maritime power in
those directions where 1t will best
promote our prestige. The country IS
familiar with the facts of our mari
time impotence in the harbors of
the great and friendly republics of
South America. Following the failure
of the shipbuilding bill we lost our
only American line of steamers to
Australasia. and that loss on the Pa
cifc has become a serious embarrass-
ment to the people of Hawaii, and has
wholly cut off the Samoan islands
from regular communication with the
Pacific coast. Puget Sound, in the
year, has lost over half (four out of
seven) of its American steamers trad
ing with the Orient.
We now pay under the act of 1891
81 statute mile outward to 20-knot
American mail steamships. built &C
cording to naval plans, available as
cruisers, and manned by Americans.
Steamships of that speed are confined
exclusively to transatlantic trade
with New York. To steamships of 16
knots or over only 50 mile can be
paid. and 1T is steamships of this speed
and type which are needed to meet
the requirements of mail service to
South America, Asia Gncluding the
Philippines,) and Australia. 1 strong
ly- recommend, therefore. a simple
amendment to the ocean mail act OF
1891 which shall authorize the post
1naster-general in his discretion to en-
= ter into contracts for the transport
ton of mails to the republics of South
America, to Asia, the Philippines, and
Australia at a rate not to exceed 81
a mile for steamships of Is knots
speed or upwards. subject to the re-
strictions and obligations Of the act
of 1891. The profit Of $3,600,000
which has been mentioned will fully
cover the maximum annual expendi-
ture involved in this recomme da-
establish the lines so urgently needed
The proposition involves no new
principle. but permits the efficient dis
charge of public functions now in
adequately performed or not per-
formed at all.
The Army.
Not only there is not now. but there
never has been, any other nation in
the world so wholly free from evils of
rnilitarism as is ours There never
has been any other large nation, not
even China, which for so long a period
has had relatively to its numbers so
small a regular army as has ours.
Never at any time in our history has
this nation suffered from militarism
or been in the remotest danger of suf-
fering from militarism. Never at any
time of our history has the regular
army. been of size which caused
the slightest appreciable tax upon the
tax-paying citizens of the nation. AL
most always 1t has been too small in
size and ,underpaid. Never in our en-
tire history has the nation suffered in
the least particular because too much
has been given to the army, too much
prominence given 1t. too much money
spent upon it, or because 1t has been
too large. But again and again we
have suffered because enough care
has not been given to it, because it
has been too small, because there has
not been sufficient preparation in ad-
vance for possible war. Every foreign
war In which we have engaged has
cost us many times the amount which,
IL wisely expended during the pre-
ceding years of peace on the regular
army, would have insured the war
ending in but a fraction of the time
and but for a fraction of the cost that
WAS actually the case. AS a nation we
: have always been shortsighted in pro-
viding for thu efficiency of the army
IN time of peace. 1t is nobody's es-
pecial interest to make such provision
and no one looks ahead to war al any