The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1908-04-16
URGES GREATER NAVY
President Asks Congress to Pro-
vide for Four Battleships.
SUREsT GUARANTY OF PEACE

China Held Up as an Example of the
"Peace at Any Price" Doctrine and
Great Britain as Having the Naval
Policy to Be EmuIated.
Washington, April 1.-Compressed
into what would be not more than a
ten minutes speech on the floor of
congress President Roosevelt urged
that body in 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 insistence on this naval
programme were few, but calculated
to be effective China was held up
as an example of the "peace at any
price" doctrine and Great Britain as
having the naval policy to be emu
lated.
The result of the last Hague con-
ference, he declared, made it plain
that the nations would not for some
time, if ever, agree on plan of linz
itation of naval armament.
Disclaiming any intention on the
part Of the United States ever to en-.
gage in a war of conquest the presi-
dent made it plain that this country
could ill afford to relax into place
where insult would have to be borne
in silence. The text of the message
follows: III h..
Let me again urge upon the con-
gress the need of providing for four
battleships of the best and most ad-
vanced type at this session. Prior to
the recent Hague conference it had
been my hope that an agreement
could be reached between the differ
ent nations to limit the increase of
naval ornaments and especially to
limit the size Of warships. Under
these circumstances I felt that the
construction of one battleship a year
would keep our navy up to its then
positive and relative strength. But
actual experience showed not merely
| that it was impossible to obtain such
an agreement for the
Limitation of Armaments
among the various leading powers,
but that there was no likelihood
whatever of obtaining it in the
future within any reasonable time.
Coincidentally with this discovery in
CURED 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 been or are being con-
structed of size and armament which
doubles or more probably trebles their
effectiveness. Every other great ma
val nation has or is building a number
of ships of this kind; we have pro-
vided for but two and therefore the
balance of power is now inclining
against us. Under these conditions to
provide for but one or two battleships
a year is to provide that this nation,
instead of advancing, shall go back
wards in naval rank and relative
power among the great nations Such
course would be unWise for us if we
frOnted merely on one ocean and it is
doubly unWise when we front on two
oceans. AS chief executive of the ma
ton and as commander-in-chief of the
navy there is imposed upon me the
solemn responsibility of advising the
congress of the measures vitality nee
essary to secure the peace and well
fare of the republic in the event of in
ternational complications which are
even remotely possible. Having in
view this solemn responsibility I
earnestly advise that the congress
now provide for four battleships of
the most advanced type. I cannot too
emphatically say that this is a meas
ure of peace and not of war. l can
conceive of no circumstances under
which this republic would enter into
an aggressive war; most certainly I'M
der no circumstances would it enter
into an aggressive war to extend it's
territory or 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 / feel that such navy
will be the surest guaranty and safe
guard of peace.
Points to China as Warning.
'sIt is idle to assume, and from the
standpoint of national interest and
honor it is mischievous folly for any
statesman to assume, that this world
has yet reached the stage, or has come
within measurable distance of the
stage, when a proud nation, jealous
Of it's honor and conscious of it's great
mission in the world, can be content
to rely for peace upon the forbearance
of other powers. It would be equally
foolish to rely upon each of them pos
sessing at all times and under all cir
Gums tahces and provocations an altru-
istic regard for the rights of others.
Those who hold this view are blind in
deed to all that has gone on before
their eyes in the world at large. They
are blind to what has happened in
China, in Turkey, in the Spanish pos
sessions, in Central and South Amer
lea during the last dozen years. For
centuries China has cultivated the
very spirit which our own peace at
any price men wish this country to
adopt. For centuries China has re-
fused to provide military forces and
has treated the career of the. soldier
as inferior in honor and regard to the
career of the merchant or of the men