The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1908-04-18
WANTS MORE
BATTLEShIPS
PRESIDENT STRONGLY URGES
THEIR NECESSITY IN sPE-
clAL MESSAGE.
WOULD BUILD FOUR
THEIR CONSTRUCTION WOULD
MAKE FOR PEACE AND .lt
NOT FOR WAR.

NOT FOR WAN.
acknowledgements into what
would be not more than . ten minute
speech on the floor Of Congress-. Pres
ident Roosevelt Tuesday urged that
body in a special message to provide
for the construction of four battle
ships of the largest and most approved
type at once.
Tho text Of the message was in part
as follows:
ITO the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives-Let me again urge upon
Congress the need OF providing for
four battleships Of the best and most
advanced type ut this session.
Prior to the recent Hague confer
ence It had been my hope that an
agreement could be reached between
the different nations to limit the In
crease Of naval ornaments. and es-
pecially to limit the size OF warships.
Under these circumstances ! felt that
the construction OF one battleship \
year would keep our navy up to its
then positive and relative strength.
But actual experience showed not
merely that II was impossible TO OBJ
tain such an agreement for the limita-
ton Of ornaments among the various
leading powers. but that there was no
likelihood whatever Of obtaining II In
the future within any Reasonable time.
Considerably with this discovery
occurred radical change in the build
Ing OF battleships among the great mil
itaFy nations-a change In which Il
was apparent modern battleehips have
been or are being constructed Of .
size and armament which doubles. or
more probably trebles. their elective
ness.
every other great nation has built
or IL building Q number q ships OF
this kind: Ne have provided for but
one. and therefore ~ balance Ut
power ID now incliniAg aGajnst US.
Under these couditiono, - provide to-
but one or two battleships Q year 10
to provide that tAls nation. instead Of
advancing. shall 90 backward In naval
rank and relative power among the
great nations.
Such . course would b unWise for
us II We fronted merely On ono ocean.
and It 10 doubly unwise for 10 II we
fsoat ON two oceans. A. chief execti-
tive Of the nation and - commander
In chief OF the navy. the solemn re-
sponsibility 10 Imposed upon ne Of ad-
vising the Congress of the measures
vitality necessary to secure the peace
and welfare q the republic In the
event Of international complications
which are even remotely possible.
"Havi1g In view this solemn re-
sponsibility. earnestly advise that the
Congress now provide four battleships
Of the most advanced type.
ri cannot too emphatically ~ that
Tan 10 . measure q peace and not q
war. can conceive Of no circum-
stances under which this republic
should enter into a. agSressive war:
most certainly under no circumstances
would II enter into an aggressive war
TO extend ito territory or In any other
manner seek material aggraDdtsemeut.
II advocate that the UnitsA States
build navy Commensurate With its
powers and its needs. because I feet
that such navy will b the ourcst
guaranty aaA safeguard q peace.
The UAitsd States caa hope for =
permanent career Of psace % only
one condition. and that u % coalition
a building and maintaiaiag Q nrst.
class navy: and the step 10 b taken
toward this end at this time 10 to pro.
vide for the building Of four additional
battisships.
II earnestly wish that The coasress
would pass the measures Soe which
have asked for strsngthsaing and ron.
destng more e0cisat the army - we'll
- the navy: oil Of theos neosures ~
s9ectiAS every branch and dstail OF
both services are soeely noo1od and
Il would b the part q fas-sightoA Wis.
dom 10 enact them Ill iato laws, but
ehe most Vital aad Immediate need 10
that q ths four battleshipo.
ITO carry out this policy = bat TO
act 10 the spirit Of 0eoege Washias.
ton: 10 but 70 coatiawe The policies
which ~ ostli1ed Whsa ~ eall. 'Ob.
serve eoo1 falth aAA juseios teWasd ail
netioee: Cultivate peaeo aaA hArmouy
with I'll.
"'rAs Uaitsd States essAt ~ 70 IN.
dulge Q psrssasioa that, ooolsasy TO
the oe6er q huaaa eveots, el0e will
forever keep q AiotaNco thooo paln.
~ aDpeelo 70 arms WITH witch tko
history q every othes naeiea ahounle.
There 10 rank due TIE Unlto1 States
anooS natloas Which viii - VitAkeIa
Y Doe absolutely lott b. NJ eoDutASlou
q voak1ooo. n ~ 0oolsV e AVOID
ieeolt ~ Aooe - 0boo . ,e1Dol r.:
= ~ oeoofo - ooouSo poooo. 60 a.
~ nees powerful loetSu0eote q eur