Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-07-23
PRESIDENT IN COLLISION.
Continued from Page One.)

brought to such point that u IN bat,'e
on n given ship. the commissioned oifl-
GERS were to be killed, the enlisted men
would be capable Of bringing the tight TO
a victorious conclusion. and dong u all
fire control end everything. Captain Full
lam, congratulate you. Admiral con-
graduate you"
Mrs. Roosevelt and other members OF
the Presidents family and party did not
come ashore until after the conference OF
the morning was concluded. With the
President they we're guests at luncheon
at Rear Admiral and Mrs NerrelPs quar-,
tiers. All of the naval families in the VI
cinity were invited to meet the Presl-
dent and Mrs Roosevelt, and the func-
ton had at times the appearance OF
gay lawn party.
It was after o'clock when the Pres
ident and his party repaired aboard the
MayfiOwer again for the return trip 10
oyster Bay The ships in the harbor
again voiced the Presidential salute or
p guns ard the Presidents first partlcl-
patton in a Newport naval conference was
at an end.
The President said to the members OF
the Naval College:
admiral Mr.. Secretary, Gentlemen:
There are only a few things that l de-
sire to say today to the conference ana
what I 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 technically. l
can speak to my fellow cOuntrymen,
who arc deeply interested in the Amer
lean navy, but who sometimes tend
to be mislcd 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 a
certain number of we'll meaning, annie
allie individuals, coupled with others
not quite 50 well meaning. who like
to talk of having navy merely for
defence, who advocate coast defence
navy. 4 purely defensive navy,
coast defence navy. would be almost
worthless.
mo fight was ever won yet except
by hitting, and the one unforglvable
offence in any man is to hit soft. Don't
hit at all if it can possibly be avoided,
but if you DO hit. hit as hard as you
know how That applies to the individ-
ia! and it applies to the nation. and
those who advocate a merely defensive
navy, a mere coast defence navy, are
advocating that we shall adopt as
national principle the principle of hit
ting soft. I hope with all my heart
that never will this nation Of our hit
unless it cannot possibly be helped.
believe that the nation should do eV-
erything honorable at all times to
avoid any trouble, that it should Scru-
pulously refrain from WrOnging or in
sulting another nation, that it should
put up with good deal in the way OF
misconduct on the part of others be-
fore going to war. But when this ma
ton does have to go to war, such war
VIII only be eXcusable if the nation in
tends 70 hammer its opponent until
that opponent quits fighting. You can't
hammer an opponent if you keep your
feet along the coast waiting until the
opponent takes the Initiative and ham,
nerS YOU.
"For the protection of our coast for
tiffcatiOns we need to have these for
tifications not merely to protect the
salient points of our possessions. but
we need them so that the navy can
legged why the fleet should not be al
lowed to go around the world was
that to let it would leave New York
defenceless in the event of war The
theory evidently was that the fleet or
a portion Of it would be used especial
" to protect New York and other
cities in the event of war. If war
comes at any time in the future, that
administration under which it comes
will indeed be guilty of folly if they
use the fleet to protect any port. Let
the port be protected by the fortifi-
cations, the fleet must be footless to
search out and destroy the enemy's
fleet.
an any question of national policy.
when statesmen. who are the people
behind the political leaders. embark on
any given policy. they build up for
themselves a time of humiliation and
disaster in the future if they do not
prepare to make that policy effective.
Eve have taken the Philippines. but If
we bad not taken them not particle of
difference would be made as regarding
the needs Of our naval policies. There
has been a division among this people as
to taking the Philippines. There has
been no division on the Monroe Doctrine.
no division on building. maintaining. po-
Icing and defending the Panama canal.
no division about Hawaii and Porto Ri
| co. no division about keeping Alaska.
which. though on the continent. is Just
as much separated as il it was an island.
no division about asserting our superior
| right to defend and protect Cuba. Not
one Of the courses of action thus out
| lined can be followed out excepting with
| a first-class navy.
THE Monroe Doctrine until backed by a
| navy is an empty boast and there exist
| but few more contemplate characters. in
divilual or national. than the man or ma
| ton who boasts. and when the boast is
challenged fails to make good.
IF We have a coast defence navy only
we had better at once turn over the PAN
ARIA canal to some stronger and Drawer
nation which wouldn't limit itself merely
to coast defence navy and could pro-
tect it.
IT have spoken of our needing an eff
Client navy because of our possessions that
are separated from uS nv water hecpIsa