The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-04-15
PRESIDENT SENDS
NAVAL MESSAGE
tContlnned from FIrst Page


Continued from First Page)
rank and relative power among the
great nations. Such course would be
unwiso for us II we fronted merely on
one ocean, and 1t Is doubly unwse
when we front on two oceans AS
chief executive of the nation, and as
cmmandor-in-ch Of the navy, there
Is imposed upon me the solemn respon-
slbility OF advising the congress Of the
measures vitality necessary to secure
the peace and welfare Of the republic
In the event Of international compiled
lions when even remotely possible
Having In view this solemn RESPONSE
bilitS | earnestly advise that the con-
gress now provide four battleships OF
the most advanced type. I cannot too
omphatically say that this Is a measure
Of peace and not OF war. The very
liberty of individual speech and action,
which we so prize and guard, renders
1t possible that at times uneXuected
causes Of friction with foreign powers
may suddenly develop,
From the standpoint Of national In
terest and honor, 1t 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 its honor and conscious of It's
great mission In the world, can be con-
tent to rely for peace upon the forbear-
ance of other powers. For centuries
China has cultivated the very spirit
which our own peace-at-any-prlce men
wish this country to adopt. For CEN
; turtles China has refused to provide
, military forces and has treated the
career of the soldier rs inferior in hon
or ana regard to the career of the mer-
chant or of the man of letters There
never has been so large mn empire
which for so long a time has so reso-
utely proceeded on the theory OF do
ing away with what Is called mill
tarlsm"
! Whether the result has been happy In
Internal affairs | need not discuss; all
I the advanced reformers and far-sight-
cd patriots in the Chinese empire are
] at present seeking Il may add. with
/. our hearty good wllD for a radical and
i far-reachlng reform in internal affairs
Z It IS probably n conservative state
! ment to say that within the last twelve
1 years, at periods Of profound peace and
I not as the result OF war; massacres
+ and hutcherles have occurred In which
4 more lives OF men. women and children
/ have been lost than In any single great
( war since the close of the Napoleonic
+ struggles. To any public man who
+ knows of the complaints continually
y made to the state department there /,
i an element Of grim tragedy in the
I claim that the time has gone by wher
Il weak nations of peoples can be OPP
+ pressed by those who are stronger
= without arousIng effective protect from
l. other strong interests.
+ When nation is so happily situat
q ed as Qurs-that Is. when It has n,
j reason to fear or to be feared by It
4 land neighbors-the fleet Is all III,
\ more necessary for the preservation
+ of peace. Great Britain has beef
4 saved by It's feet from the necesslt
J. of facing one of the two alternative
+ of submission to conquest by for
Z eign power or Of itself becoming
j great military power. The Unite
Z States can hope for u permanent ca
j. reer of peace on only one condition
and that Is on condition of buildln
: and maintaining nrst-class navy
and the step to be taken toward thi
end nj this time is to provide for tn
building of four additional battleship,
; / earnestly wish that the congress
-, would pass the measures for which
have asked for strengthening and rem
D dering more efficient the army as we
- as the navy.
I. TO carry out this policy is nut [,
10 act In the spirit Of George Wash
ington; Is but to continue the police
" which he outlined when he ,aid, Job
al serve good faith and justice toward
all nations. Cultivate peace ard har
mony with all. Nothing
moro essential than that permanent
inveterate antipathies against lartlc
ular nations and passionate attach
ments for others should be excluded
and that in place of them last an
amlcable feelings toward all should b
Z cultivated.
+ Il cannot recommend to your nc
3 tice measure for the fulillment Of on
!. duties to the rest Of the world with
Y out again pressing upon YOU the nc
y cessity of placing ourselves in u cor
I diton OF complete defense and OF eS
z acting from them tho fulhllmcnt O
j. their duties toward us. The Unite
+ States ought not to indulge per
Z suason that Is contrary TO the orde
I. OF human events, they will foreve
u keep at n distance those painful ar
J. peals to arms with which the histor
\ of every other nation abounds. Ther
l. is Il rank due to the United state
i among nations, which will oe Will
y held If not absolutely lost, by tho reT
II utaton of weakness If we leslro
i avoid insult, we must he able D rep,
Z It, II we desire to secure peace, or
j. Of the most powerful instruments
X our rising prosperity, 1t must !
q known that we are at all times reat
!! for war"
+ THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
\ The White House, April IA, 1908.
~