Arizona republican., 1907-12-04


 sibility of securing the assent of the nations gathered at The Hague. Nc 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 al all feasible, that of limiting the size of battleships, met with no favor at all It 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 arm aments. 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 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 coaliig stations. the colliers and supply ships that they need. We are ex- tremely deficient in coaling stations
  ficiency should no longer be permitted to exist. Plenty of torpedo boats and destroyers should be built. Both on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. fortifica- tions of the best type should be pro- vided for all our greatest harbors.
 We need always to rmember that in time of war the navy is not to be used to defend harbors and sea-coast cities; We should perfect our system of coast Qualifications. The only efficient use for the Navy is for offense. The only way in which it can efficiently protect our own coast against the pos sible action of a foreign navy is by destroying that foreign navy. For de- fense against a 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 thoroughly efficient navy capable of acting on the offensive; for parrying never yet won a fight. It can only be won by hard hitting. and an aggressive sea-going navy alone can do this hard hitting of the offens- i've type. But the forts and the like are necessary so that the Navy may be footloose. In time of war there is sure to be demand. under pressure of fright, for the ships to be scattered so as to defend all kinds of ports. Under penalty of terrible disaster. this de- mand must be refused. The ships must be kept together. and their objective made the enemies fleet. If fOrtifica- tions are sufficiently strong. no mod ern navy will venture to attack them, so long as the foe has in existence a hostile navy of anything like the same size or efficiency. But unless there exists such a navy then the fortifica- tions are powerless by themselves to secure the victory. For. of course. the mere deficiency means that any reso- lute enemy can at his leisure combine all his forces upon one point with the certainty that he can take it.
 We Need More Ships.
 Until our battle fleet is much larg- CT than at present it should never be split into attachments so far apart that they could not in event of emer- gency be speedily united. Our coast line is on the Pacific just as much as on the Atlantic. The interests of Cali fornia. oregon. and Washington are as emphatically the interests of the whole Union as those of Maine and New York. of Louisiana and Texas The battle fleet should now and len be moved to the Pacific, just as al other times it should be kept in the Atlantic ,I, I-st
 transit of the battle fleet from one ocean to the other will be comparative ly easy. Until it is built I earnestly hope that the battle fleet will be thus shifted between tn two oceans every year or two. The craftsmanship on all our ships has Improved phenomen- ally during the last five years. Until within the last two or three years it was not possible to train a 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 fleet is about starting by the Straits of Magellan to visit the Pacific coast. Sixteen battle ships are going under the command of Rear-Admiral Evans. while eight ar mored cruisers and two other battle ships will meet him at San Francisco. whither certain torpedo destroyers are also going. No fleet of such size has ever made such voyage, and it will be of very great educational use to all engaged in it. The only way by which to teach officers and men how to han dle the fleet so as to meet every pos sible strain and emergency in time of war is to have them practice under similar conditions iR time of peace Moreover. the only way to find out our actual needs is to perform in time of peace whatever maneuvers might be necessary in time of war After war Is declared it is too late to find out the needs; that means to invite dis aster. This trip to the Pacific will show what some of our needs are and will enable us to provide for them. The proper place for an officer to learn his duty is at sea, and the only way in which a navy can ever be made eff cient is by practice at sea, under all the conditions which would have to be met if war existed
 T bespeak the most liberal treatment for the officers and enlisted men of the Navy. It is true of them, as like, wise of the officers and enlisted men of the Army. that they form body whose interests should be close to the heart