The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-15
Special Message Sent to Con- greSS Requesting Action In
 the Matter Al Once
CONDITION OF CHINA
 IS HORRIBLE EXAMPLE
President Points Out China's Weak. ness and Says United States Must Be Prepared To Defend Her.
 self From Insult.

Washington, April 14.-Compressed 1 into what would be not more than a | ten minute speech on the floor of Con gress, President Roosevelt today urged | that body in a special message to pro- vide for the construction of four bat
 tleships of the largest and most ap-
 proved type at once. The arguments
 of the President to impress his insist 1 ence on this naval programme were | few, but calculated to be effective 1 China was held up as an example of
 the peace at any price" doctrine, and | Great Britain as having the naval pol 1 icy to be emulated. The result of the l last Hague conference made it plain
 that the nations would not for some time, if ever, agree on a plan of limi-
 tation of naval armament. reason 1 the President holds cannot be relied
 upon an effective remedy, though 1t | should be utilized to it's fullest extent. | Diselaiming any intention on the part
 of the United States ever to engage in
 war of conquest. the President made | 1t plain that this country could i'll af- 1 ford to relax into place where insult
 would have to be borne in silence. The text of the message follows:
 Text of Message.
 To the Senate and House of Repre- sentatives:
 Let me again urge upon the Con gress the need. of providing for four battleships of the best and most ap-
 proved type at this session. Prior to
 the recent Hague conference, 1t had been my hope that an agreement could
 be reached between the different na-
 tions to limit the increase of naval ar
 maments. especially to limit the size of
 warships. Under these circumstances I felt the construction of one battIe- | ship once a year would keep our navy up and with positive and relative strength. But actual experience showed not merely that it was impossible to obtain such an agreement for the linn itation of armaments among the va rious leading powers, but there was no lilxe ood whatever of obtaining it in the future within any reasonable time. l Coineidentally with this discovery oc- cured a radical change in the build ! ing of battleships among the great military nations. a change in accord ance with which the most modern bat tleships have or are being constructed. of size and armament which doubles l or more probably trebles their effec- tiveness
 Every other great nation is building a number of ships of this kind. while
  1 therefore, the balance of power is in- | clining against us. Under these cond- tions to provide for but one or two battleships a year is to provide that | this nation. instead of advancing, shall | go backwards in naval rank and rela- | tive power among the great nations. Such a course would be unwise for us 1 if we fronted merely on one ocean, and lit is doubly unwise when we front on | two oceans
 Responsibility of President. "As chief executive of the nation and as | commander-in-c chief of the navy there is | imposed upon me the solemn responsibil- | ity of advising the Congress of the meas | ures vltally necessary to secure the peace 1 and welfare of the republic in the event l of international complications, which are l even remotely possible. Having In view this solemn responsibility, l earnestly ad- wise that the Congress now provide four l battleships of the most advanced type [ | cannot say that this is a measure of peace and not of war. l can conceive of no circumstance under which this repub- lie would enter into aggressive war: most certainly under no circumstances would it enter into an aggressive war to extend it's territory in any other manner seek material aggrandizement.
 "I advocate that the United States build navy commensurate with it's powers and it's needs, because l feel that such navy will be the surest guaranty and safeguard of peace. We are not mli- tary nation Our army is so small as to present almost absurd contrast to our size. It is properly treated as little more than a nucleus for organization in case of serious war. Yet we are a rich nation and undefended wealth invites aggres- sion The very liberty of individual speech and action which we prize and guard renders it possible that at times unexpected causes of friction with foreign powers may suddenly develop
 Arbitration Treaties.
 "At this moment we are negotiating ar bitration treaties with all the other great powers that are willing to enter into them. These arbitration treaties have special usefulness because in the event of some sudden disagreement they render it morally incumbent upon both nations to seek first to reach an agreement through arbitration and at least secure breathing space during which the cool judgment of the two natous involved may get the upper hand over any momen- tary burst of anger,
 ",rhese arbitration treaties are entered into not only with the hope of preventing wrong doing by others against us, but also as a proof that we have no intention of doing wrong ourselves. Yet it is idle to assume. and from the standpoint of na- tional interest and honor it is mschievous folly for any statesman to assume that this world has yet reached the stage or has come within measurable distance of