Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-07-23


Il want to speak word to the COM
manders of the battalions and the
companies here and through them to
the apprentices.
II want 10 say how pleased i am
with the bearing, the whole tone and
look of evident character of this bat
talon. 1t is a fine thing and l am
particularly pleased to see 1t handled
as it was by a warrant officer. Be-
fore Santiago in the army there. we
always used to say that If every COM
manding officer were killed the SER
geants would take the army into San
tiago."
The president. Mrs. Roosevelt and
other members of the family and
party. were guests at luncheon of
Rear Admiral and Mrs. Merrill All
the navy families In the vicinity were
Invited TO meet the president and Mrs.
Roosevelt and the function had at
times the appearance of a gay lawn
party.
In his address to the conference the
president SAID:
There are only few things that
! desire to say to the conference and
what | have to say really Is said less
to the officers present than to the
great bulk of fellow countrymen out
side. / could not speak to you tech
nically. l can speak to my fellow
countrymen who are deeply Interested
in the American navy, but who sOme-
times tend to be misled as to the kind
of navy we have and as to what the
navy can and ought to do.
For instance there are always cer-
tain Aumbers of well meaning, ami
able individuals, coupled with others
al tE.ar xnrI.sa
cate merely coast defense navy
Such advocacy illustrates a habit OF
mind as old as human nature itself-it
has a desire at the same time to do
something and not to do It.
"No fight was ever won except by
hitting, and the one forgivable offense
in any man is to hit solft. That ap-
plies to the individual and it applies TO
the nation and those who advocate a
coast defense coast navy are advOcat-
ing that we shall adopt as national
principle, the principle of hitting soft.
hone with all my heart that never
will this nation of ours hit unless It
can't possibly be helped. l believe that
the nation should scruplulously re-
frain from wrangling or insulting an
other nation; that 1t should put up
with a good deal In the way of mis-
conduct on the part of others, be-
fore going to war. But when this ma
tion does have to go to war, such war
will only be excusabe If the nation In
tends to hammer its opponent until
that opponent quits fighting.
For the protection of our coast
we need fertilization, not merely to
protect the salient points of our pos
sessions, but so that the navy can be
foot loose A year ago at the time It
was announced that the fleet was to
go abroad, there was certain num-
ber of newspapers, especially in my
own city of New York. that raised a
clamorous protest against 1t. 1t took
at one time the form of a mistaken
prophecy to the effect that the fleet
would not be allowed to go,around the
world, and one Of tha reasons al
legged was that to let II go around the
world will leave New York defense
less in the event az the war. The
theory evidently was t the fleet, or
portion of II, woi De used espe-
cially to protect ~, York and other
cities IN the event ~ war
If war comes d any time hi the
future that administration under
which II comes will indeed be guilty
of folly if they use the feet to pro-
tect any port. Let the port be pro-
tected by the fortiications; the fleet
must be foot loose to search out and
destroy the enemy's fleet. That Is the
only function that can justify the
fleets existence. Any other than that
function cannot exist in the case of
war and as ridiculous as the fleet
would be were it only possible to
use 1t for coast defense purposes.
In any question of any policy when
statesmen, when the people behind
the political leaders embark on any
given policy they build up for them
selves a time of humiliation and dis
aster in the future If they do not pre-
pare to make that policy effective.
There is something to be said Qrom
my standpoint not much but still
something) for the theory that this
nation shall never have any interests
outside its own borders and shall as
sumo toward other nations an atti-
tude of such meekness that no trouble
can possible come.
"It is a defenslble policy. But a
wholly indefensible policy would be
consistently to work for, the assump-
ton of responsibilities without max
ing any provision for meeting the de-
mands necessarily entailed by those
RESPONSIBILITIES TO be rich, aggres-
siye and unarmed is to invite cer-
tain disasters and humiliation.
I'VE have taken the Philippines,
but If we had not taken them not a
particle of difference would be make
as regards the needs of out naval poll
cies There has been q division among
this people as to taking the Philip
pines.
"There has been no division on the
Monroe doctrine, nor division on
building, maintaining policing ana
defending the Panama canal; no di-
vision about Hawaii and Porto Rico;
no division about keeping Alaska,
which though on the continent Is Just
as much separated as II It was an ISL
| and Not one OF the courses of ac-
ton thus outlined can be followed out
excepting with a first class navy. The
Monroe doctrine was In danger Of fall
ing net merely into disuse, but into
contempt. until we began to build up
our navy The Monroe doctrine wont
/ be observed by foreign nations with
sufficient strength 10 disregard II.
when once 1t become their interest
to disregard II, unless we have a navy
sufficient to make our assertion OF the
doctrine good The Monroe doctrine
unbacked by a navy Is an empty boast
and there exists but few more con-
temptlbie characters. individually or
nations, than the man or nation VINO
boasts. and when the boast Is chal-
llenged, fails to make good
IF we have a coast navy only we
had better at once turn over the Pan
anna canal to some stronger and brav-
er nation which would not limit IT.
self merely 20 a coast defense navy
and could protect IT, 1t we should
limit ourselves merely to a navy that
/ ...~,.Ia .xnasa ,.o ~ Hafaualvp war