The San Francisco call., 1908-07-23
ROOSEVELT PLEADS
FOR LARGER NAVY
President Is Central Figure at
Notable Gathering of
Navy Officers
Yacht of Nations Executive Is
Damaged in Collision On
Way to Newport

| NEWPORT, r. l., July 22.-Pieading
for popular support for a first class
lighting navy, navy capable of Seek
ing out the enemy and hammering him
| until he quits, President Roosevelt was
the central figure here today in the
most notable conference of American
naval officers ever called together to
consult and discuss in a broad, general
way the future United States battle
ships. The president spoke publicly for
more than half an hour, and then the
conference went into executive session
| for an hour.
During this session the president
took a leading part in the discussion.
The president sailed for Oyster bay
this afternoon, but the battleship con-
ference will continue here and in Wash
| ington until definite plans for the bat
tleshipS to be laid down in the near
future are decided upon.
When the MayAower, flying the pres
| idents white crested flag of blue at the
main truck, seteamed into the harbor
this morning, nearly two hours behind
schedule time, with her bowsprit miss
ing, one anchor gone, bow plates dent
ed and six strange figures in black
oilskins and sou'westers gathered in
! the bow, she brought the story of an
adventurous night return in the black
est fog of the summer and of col
lision in which the lumber laden schoo-
ner Menawa was cut practically in two
by the presidents yacht.
PICK UP CREW
A lifeboat lowered from the May
flower picked up the crew of six men
on the sinking boat. They were taken
on board and today when the May
flower arrived here the president, who
knew nothing of the accident and the
danger of the collision until he arose
this morning, directed that they be
given sufficient money to take them
to. their homes in Maine and that the
master of the schooner. Skipper Hutch
inson, be provided with transportation
to the office of his agents in New York.
The president spent the entire time
he was here upon the naval island.
The president, Mrs. Roosevelt and
other members of the presidents fam
! lily and party were guests at luncheon
with Rear Admiral and Mrs. Merrell.
All the navy families in the vicinity
were invited to meet the president and
Mrs. Roosevelt and the function had at
times the appearance of a gay lawn
| party.
In his address to the conference the
president said:
There are only a few things that I
desire to say today to the conference,
and what 1 have to say really is said
less to the officers present than to the
great bulk of my fellow countrymen
outside. could not speak to you tech
nically. can speak to my fellow coun-
trymen who are deeply interested in
the American navy, but who sometimes
tend to be misled as to the kind of
navy we should have and as to what
the navy can and ought to do.
For instance. there are always certain
numbers of well meaning, amiable in
dividuals, coupled with others not quite
so well meaning, who advocate merely
a coast defense navy. Such advocacy
! illustrates a habit of mind as old as
human nature itseIf-the desire at the
same time to do something and not to
do it. No fight was ever won except by
hitting, and the one unforgivabIe Of
fense in any man is to hit soft. That
applies to the individual and it applies
to the nation, and those who advocate
a coast defense navy are advocating
that we shall adopt as a national prin-
ciple the principle of hitting soft.
HOPES FOR PEACE
II hope with all my heart that never
will this nation of ours hit unless it
cannot possibly be helped: 1 believe
that the nation should scrupulously
refrain from wronging or insulting an
other nation, that it should put up with
a good deal in the way of misconduct
on the part of others before going to
war. But when this nation does have
TO go to war, such war will only be
excusable if the nation intends to ham
mer its opponent until that opponent
quit fighting.
II or the protection of our coast we
need fortifications, not merely to pro-
tect the salient points of our possess
sions, but so that the navy can be
| footless."
| CALIFORNIA HARVARD STUDENTS
CAMBRIDGE, Mass, July 22.-Among