The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-06-17
WHAT THE BIG
FLEET MEANS
Congressman Foss Declares Cruise
Shows Uncle Sam Will Pro
tect interests.
DISPLAY OF NATIONS POWER.
Virtue Backed by Strength Pointed
Out as Lesson Taught by the
Atlantic Flotilla.
IsPLAY OF NATIONS POWER.

CHICAGO, June 4.-"Wherever our
magnificent feet shall sail not only
will it demonstrate our strength in
the orient-and the people over
there don't recognize virtue unless il
is backed up by power-but it will be
gentle reminder that the United
States always will defend her inter
ests in this hemisphere and will not
forsake her interests in the other
hemisphere" This was the keynote
of an address on the United States
navy by Congressman George E. Foss,
chairman of the committee on naval
affairs, before the Hamilton club at
luncheon today.
CRITICISMS SILENCED.
You remember when the president
issued the order, sending our fleet
around the world, there was a great
deal of criticism" he said Did you
ever stop to think how much the sail
ing of that fleet would mean to the
United States and the navy? Never
had the president of the United States
given an order of more benefit to the
navy.
"The cruise has demonstrated that
our ships are built right and silenced
the criticisms of men who have serv.
ed a short time in the navy and at.
tack it in the press. 1t has shown
in target practice in Magdalena that
our target practice today leads that
of the world.
The cruise called the attention of
our people to the fact that we have
a Pacific as well as an Atlantic coast
line and that having two seaboards
our navy must have two fleets. It
has shown the friendship of South
American countries and as a result
OF the fleets visit there we will cul-
tivate more cordial relations with the
countries of South America because
they will always realize that South
and North America are bound togeth-
er by the Monroe doctrine and that
Uncle Sam has the power to back it
up against the world.
IMPORTANCE OF CANAL.
1T has called att $ntion to the fact
that the trend of our developments
is toward the west and it has called
the attention of the people to the
importance of building the Panama
canal to bring the Atlantic and Paci-
tic coast lines closer together. Also
il has pointed out the influence of
our country in the Pacific and how it
has been built up by these stepping
stones:
Il. The annexation of the Hawaii
an islands and the establishment lat
er of naval base.
%. The establishment of an Anne
rican form of government in the Phi
lippine islands.
%. The diplomacy of the late John
Hay in maintaining the integrity of
China and opening the Chinese ports
to the commerce of the world
Last, when the president of the
United States invited Russian and
Japanese ENJOYS to adjust their diff
ferences in our navy yard"
TELLS NUMBER OF SHIPS.
Congressman Foss, after giving
some points in history, then proceed
ed to statistics as follows:
1--WE have thirty-one battle ships,
eleven armored cruisers, eleven
.coast-defense vessels, forty-nine pro-
tective cruisers, thirty-two torpedo
boats, thirty-one torpedo-boat des-
troyers and twenty submarines. We
have a navy whose total tonnage is
100000 tons, second in real naval
strength only to that of England"