Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-04-23
BUILD BIGGER NAVY
PLEA OF ROOSEVELT
Sends Special Message Urging Con-
struction of Four Huge
Battle Ships.
HOUSE APPROVES OF PROJECT.
President Thinks Dreadnaughts Are
Necessary to Keep Rank as
Naval Power.

President Roosevelt sent a special
| message to Congress urging both the
House and the Senate to appropriate a
sum sufficiently large to enable the con-
struction of four battleships of the
heaviest and most improved type He
takes the view that if Congress author
ICES four of these Dreadnaughts this
year that the building of only one ship
a year of this class for some time to
come will enable the country to hold
its own as the second power in the
world
While the message received careful
attention in the House and was ap-
plauded literally, its reception in the
Senate was the most remarkable ever
given to document received from the
President of the United States in the
upper branch. 1t was not even read,
SO great was the confusion. The read.
ing clerk of the Senate simply read a
line or two from each page and finish
ed it in less than three minutes The
message said in part:
Let me again urge upon the Congress
the need of providing for four battleships
| of the best and most advanced type at
this session. Prior to the recent Hague
conference it had been my hope that an
agreement could be reached between the
different nations to limit the increase of
naval ornaments, and especially to limit
the size of warships. Under these cir
| cumstances | 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 mere-
ly that it was impossible to obtain such
an agreement for the limitation of arma-
| ments among the various leading powers.
but that there was no likelihood what
ever of obtaining it in the future within
any reasonable time. Coincidentally with
this discovery occurred radical change
| IN the building of the battleships among
| the great military nations--a change in
accordance with which the most modern
| battleships have been or are being con-
| structed, of a size and armament which
| doubles, or more probably trebles, their
| effectiveness
or is building a number of ships of this
kind; we have provided for only two, and
therefore the balance of power is now in
Ginning against us. Under these condi-
| lions, to provide for only one or two bat
tleships year is to provide that this ma
ton, instead of advancing, shall go back
| wards in naval rank and relative power
| among the great nations.
Such a 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 nation, and as
commandment of the navy, there is
| imposed on me the solemn responsibility
of advising the Congress of the measures
vitality necessary to secure the peace and
welfare of the republic in the event of
international complications which are
even remotely possible. Having in view
| this solemn responsibility, l earnestly ad-
wise that the Congress now provide four
battleships of the most advanced type.
l cannot too emphatically say that this
is a measure of peace and not of war;
can conceive of no circumstances under
which this republic would enter into an
aggressive war: most certainly, under no
circumstances would it enter into an ag-
gressive war to extend its territory or in
any other manner seek material aggran-
diZement. / advocate that the United
States build a navy commensurate with
its powers and it's needs because | feel
that such navy will be the surest guar
aptan Of