The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-08-07
THE PRESIDENTS "WAR POLICY"

navy.
This writer says:
All the well-tried wires and levers
and switches that stir mighty peO-
pie to mighty clamor for a mighty
navy were consummately handled.
The powerful navy that is the best
guarantee of peace, the shame of
evading imperial responsibilities, the
danger of being rich and unarmed,
the Philippines, Hawaii Cuba. the
Panama canal, the Monroe doctrine
not one of these well-tried kettle
drums in the stirring symphony of
imperialism failed to come in for a
sOnOrOUs beating The weakling and
the mOllycoddle, easily identified I'M
der his new disguise as the man who
hits soft" was appropriately mauled.
dragged about by the hair and tossed
aside"
From the HobsOn point Of view the
president no doubt made a bully
speech" and in it's makers eye was
also most pleasing.
The writer in the Post, continuing,
says:
THE president is not often ambig-
uOus; but he unwittingly prOclaims
undoubted truth when he declares err
rOneOus "the theory of certain Of our
fellow citizens that we can perma-
nently follow a policy of peace with
insult" OF course you can't keep on
insulting the nations of the world
without gOading them into war at last.
at is absolutely necessary that if
we claim for ourselves the right to
choose who shall come here, we shall
be in trim to uphold that right if any
power challenges it," No names are
mentioned. please take notice. OF
course, Russia's feet may attack US
If We shut out the Jews, Austria-HUn-
gary's fleet may attack us, ROumania' $
fleet may destroy our Panama canal?
Loeb may say that HobsOn is not tell
ing the truth, but how shall we hence
forth lift up our voices against Hob
son, now that Mr.. Roosevelt has spOk-
en- and Loeb can not deny?
ScOrn and fire are none too harsh
for the heads OF those who venture to
believe that our national defense
rests in something else than the big
gest navy on the earth. We are rich;
other countries are poor. There you
have it. We've got to be in a posi-
ton to lick 'em all. They are fools
and weaklings who believe that good
will toward other nations, and a de-
cent tone in the way we speak of
them, count something towards peace.
They are ignorant or blind who still
cling to the old belief that our geo
graphical situation forms part OF our
defense. They are senile Optimists
who believe that in this country there
are vast reserves Of strength which
would break out against unjust at
tack with force sufficient to sweep
invasion back upon itself They are
bad strategists who insist that Japan
may think twice before taking on a |
fight thousands of miles away from
her shores, or that England will hest
tate before attacking the nation that
lies south Of Canada. II was our
mighty navy of old wooden cruisers
we suppose that kept England from
going to war with us over Venezuela |
A very large cat came out OF the bag
when Mr.. Roosevelt laid it down that !
ito be rich, aggressive and unarmed, |
is to invite certain disaster" True, il |
you are rich and fat old gentleman.
and deliberately hit prize fighter in
the eye, you are likely to get into
trouble.
Approaching refinement from pub
lie life has not tempered Mr. Roose-
velt's passions nor sObered his style. |
In view Of the harm that a speech !
like yesterdays may do, it Is a pity |
that his desire to hunt in Africa can
not sooner be realized. The president |
has not seen fit to take up the neces-
sary house cleaning in the navy de-
partment which real naval efficiency
calls for. He has done nothing to
modernize the antiquated bureau sys-
tenn Ships not off the stocks go out
of date because valid criticism Of the
naval construction hierarchy is not
to. In other words, what can
be done quietly and inexpensively to
make a fit navy, the president has not
done. But when it comes to sound
ing trumpets of alarm and beating
tympanums of defiance Mr.. Roosevelt
can be counted on"
THEoDoRUS AFRIcANUS