The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-07-27
NOW SECOND AMONG IL
WORLDS NAVAL POWERS
Placing in Commission Of Uncle Sans Greatest Bat
tkeship, Kansas, Gives Country Naval Boost.

When the United States battleship
| Kansas went into commission a short
time ago, the<cherished dream of half
a dozen secretaries of the navy was
an accomplished fact, and Uncle Sam
had taken second place in the world
naval powers.
Not long ago, during Grover Cleve-
lands first administration, in fact,
three other nations in addition to
England boosted stronger navy than
Uncle Sam.
Germany, France and Italy all out
stripped the nation which, when still
in its infancy, had been strong enough
to defeat Great Britain in the distinct
lively naval war of 1912.
From the conclusion of that struggle
to the Civil war, the policy of the gov
eminent toward the naval branch of
it's service was curiously Indifferent.
In the one war of Importance that
came during that period, the easy con-
quest of Mexico, there was no occasion
for the naval arm, and so the Civil
war started with Washington almost
as badly off as the Confederacy.
But American genius soon rose to
the occasion, and before the conflict
between the North and South ended,
the naval warfare of the world had
been revolutionized by the develop
ment of the ironclad ram Merrimac
and the Monitor of Capt. Ericsson.
Europe learned much from the War
of the Rebellion, but the United States,
satisfied with having settled its own
terrific internecine struggle, and con-
tent with the belief that it's own in
sularity would assure it immunity
from any nation of Europe sufficiently
strong to expose the stretching Ameri-
can seacoast to the danger Of an at
tack, let it's navy go along without at
tention till it ran behind almost to the
point OF uselessness.
The late William G. Whitney was
the father of the revival of the Ameri-
can navy. He appealed strongly to
congress for the need of starting pro-
gram which should result in upbuild-
ing the nations floating defenders.
His request was grudgtngly granted.
Successive secretaries-Herbert, under
Clevelands second administration;
Tracy, under Harrison; Long, under
Mckinley and Roosevelt, and Moody,
Bonaparte and Metcalf under Roose-
velt-have given impetus to the move
ment. Nor must the part be forgotten
that Theodore Roosevelt played when
he was assistant secretary of the navy,
under Long, just before the outbreak
Of the Spanish-American war. He is
given the credit by many experts for
having done much of the work that
such perfect shape to go against their
Spanish foes.
AS president he has been insistent
in favor Of an adequate navy.
The Kansas is interesting for her
self alone, independently Of the fact
that she is the tally on the score sheet
of the nations that shows the United
States to have ,step2ed into second
place as naval power. I !asssSa:
The new battleship can justly wear
the title that has 50 often been applied
to new ships, in fact nearly always
goes to the last one turned out, "The
Queen of the Navy"
Such title seems more than ira
dition when applied to the Kansas.
She represents the very last word, the
best we have been able to do, to date.
And this is the same as saying that
the Kasas would have at least an even
chance with anything afoat
Uncle Sam thought enough of the
Kansas to spend $4,250,000 for this