The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1907-12-06
President Sees Need of
IHrEriy Increased NnNy.

/ f1rthwith retired"
! President Sees Need of
Largely Increased Navy.
The president asks for continuous
| inrroas" in the navy and asks present
| congress for appropriations for four
| new bnttcvhirs and says.
"Wc need always to remember that
| In time OF war the navy ls not to ba
used to defend horbors md ea-coast
cities, We should perfect aur system II
coast fortlhcntious. The only efficient
use for tho navy Is for oG,uac. The
only way In which II can efficiently pro-
tort our own coast against thu possible
action Of a foreign navy is by destroy
ing that foreign navy. For defense
against n hostile Gcct which actually
attacks them, the coast ctlrs must de-
pend upon their forts. mines torredocs.
submarines and torpedo hD1ts and de-
stroyrrs All Of these together are ef-
hcient for defensive purposes. but they
in no way supply the place Of 3 thor
ouEhly efficient navy capable OF acting
on the offensive, for paIryiug never yet
won a night IT can only be won by
hard hitting and en- aggressive sea- GO
Ing navy alone can do this hard hitting
OF the offensive type But the forts
and the like are necessary so that the
navy may be foutloosc. In time OF war
there is sure to bc demand. under prcs-
sure oil Iflklt. Tor tte ohlpH 10 be scat
tered 20 MS to defend nil KIND NJ ports.
Under penalty of terrible disaster. this
demand must be refused. The ships
must be kept together and their OBJ
tective made the enemies feet IL
fortlncations are sufficiently strong no
modern navy will venture TO attack
them, so long as the foe has In exist
cnce hostile navy u anything like
the same size or efficiency Bat unless
thaFa aytgfa n nc ha
hcations are powurloss ~ themselves
to secure the victory For OF course
the mere deficiency means that any
resolutc enemy can nt his leisure com
btne all his forces upon one point with
tho certainty that no can take It,
Gives Reasons for Despatch
OF Fleet tn the Pacific.
Until our battle fleet ia much larger
than at present II should never be split
into attachments 80 far apart that they
could not TN event OF emergency he
speedily united Our coast line II on
the Pacific just as much as on the At
lautc The interests OF California,
Oregon and Washington are as en-
phatlcally the interests Of the whole
union as those OF Maine and New York.
OF Louisiana and Texas. The brttls
fleet should now and then be moved to
the Pacific. Just as a, other times IL
should he kept in tho Atlantic Whom
the isthmIan canal liz built the transit
OF the battle al cot from ono ocean "a
tho other WIN be comparatively easy.
Untll It Is built earnestly hope that
the battle fleet will be thus shifted be-
tween the two oceans every year or
two. The marksmanehip on al our
ships has improved phcuOm, nally dur
Ing the last i've years Until within
the last two or three years II was not
possible to train n battle fleet In squad
ron mnneuvcrs under service conditions.
and IL is only during these last two or
three years that tho training under
these conditions has become really Of
fcctive. Another and most necessary
stride in advance Is now being taken,
! he battle feet Is about starting by
tho Straits OF Magellan to visit tho
Pacific coast. Sixteen battlrships ara
going under the command ~ Rear Ad-
miral Evans. while eight armured
cruisers and two other hattleHnips VIII
meet him at San Francisco. whittier
certain torpedo destroycrs are also go
nG No fleet OF such size has ever
made such Il voyage, and It will be Of
very great educational use to all en-
gagged in It. The only way by which to
each officers and men how to handle
he fleet so rs to meet every possible
train and emergency in time Of war In
% have them practice under similar
conditions in time of peace. Moreover,
he only way to find out our actual
reeds Is to perform In time of peace
whatever maneuvers might be neces-
ary in time OF war, After war Is de-
Jared II is too late to FIND out the
leeds that means to invite disaster.
'he trip to the Pacific will show what
ome of our needs are and will enable
is TO provide for them. The proper
'lace for an offlcer to learn his duty
5 at sea, and the only way In which
Iavy can ever be made efficient Is by
'ractice at sea, under all the condf-
Ions which would have to be met 10
var existed"
He reviews the work accomplished
" the second peace conference at The
iague; notes the improvement of at
airs In Cuba. and the preparations boz
ng made to reestablish the govern
lent of the island republic: asks per-
Mission to cancel the remainder Of
hina's indemnity obligation to us. ana
ev:cws the effect of Secretary Roots
is!t to Mexico
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House.