The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-15

PLEADS FOR
LARGER NAVY
Special Message Sent to Con-
greSS Advising Building
of Four BattIeshipS.
ARBITRATION is NOT
TO BE DEPENDED UPON
CHINA HELD UP AS EXAMPLE OF
WHAT HAPPENS TO "PEACE
AT ANY PRICE" NATIONS.


Washington. April 14.-COmpressed into
what would be not more than a ten-min-
ute speech on the floor of congress,
President Roosevelt today urged that
body in a special message to provide Tor
the construction of four battleships OF the
largest and most approved type at once
The arguments of the presidet 70 I'm
press his insistsnce on this naNal pro
gram were few but calculated to be ell
fective. China was held up as an exam
pie of the peace at any price oOclIlhe;
and Great Britain as having the hdNd4
policy to be emulated.
The result of the last The Hague con-
ference made it plain that the nations
would not for some time, II ever, agree
on a plan of limi .atiOn OF naval arna-
ment Arbitration, the president hOlds,
cannot be relied uDon as an effective
remedy. though it should be utilized TO It's
fullest extent.
DiscIaining any intention on the part
of the United States ever te engage IN
war of conquest. the president mace =
plain that this country could i'll afford
to relapse into place where Insult would
have to be borne in silence.
The text of she message follows:
The Message.
ITO the Senate and House of Represent
atives:
Let m again urge upon congress the
need of providing for four battieshlps OF
the best and most advanced type at TINS
session. Prior to the recent Hague con-
ference it had been my hope that
an agreement could be reached between
the different nations to limit the increase
of naval ornaments, and especially 10
limit the size of warshipS. Under these
circumstances / 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 merely that ii was impossible TO OD-
tain such an agreement for the limitation
of ornaments among the various lead
ing powers. but that there was no ike
lihoOd whatever of obtaining il in the
future within any reasonable time Co
incidentally with this discovery occurred
a radical change in the building of bat
tleships among the great military ma
tions-a change in which it was apparent
modern battleships have been or are be-
ing constructed of a size and armament
which doubles or more probably trebles
their effectiveness. Every other great
naval nation has built or is building a
number of ships of this kind. We have
provided for but two and therefore the
balance of power is now inclining against
us Under these conditions to provide for
but one or two battleshipS a year is 10
provide that this nation, instead of ad-
Vancing. shall go backwards in naval
rank and relative power among the great
nations. Such course would be unWlse
and it is doublv unwse for us if we front
on two oceans. As chief executive Of the
nation and as commander in chief of the
navy, the responsibility is imposed upon
me, the solemn responsibility of advising
the congress of the measures vitality nee
essary to secure the peace and welfare of
the republic in the event of international
complications which are even remotely
possible.
A Measure of Peace.
Having in view this solemn response
bility, l earnestly advise that the con-
gress now provide four battleships of the
most advanced type. l cannot too en-
phatically say that this is measure of
peace and not of war. l can conceive
of no circumstances under which this re-
public would enter into an aggressive
war; most certainly under no circum-
stances would il enter into an agrees
sive war to extend its territory or in any
other manner seek material aggrandize-
ment. ] advocate that the United States
build a navy commensurate with its DOW
ers and its needs. because | feel that such
a navy will be the surest guaranty and
safeguard of peace. We are not a milf
tary nation. Our army is so small as to
present an almost absurd contrast to our
size. II is properly treated as little more
than a nucleus for organization in case
of serious war. Yet we are rich nation
and undefended wealth invites aggres-
sion. The very liberty of individual
speech ana ACTON winch we prize and
guard renders it possible that at times
unexpected causes of friction with for
eign powers may suddenly develop
Failure of Arbitration.
AT this moment we are negotiating
arbitration treaties with all the other
powers that are willing 10 enter into
them. These arbitration treaties have
special usefulness because in the event
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