The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-15
Roosevelt Sends Message
 to Congress.
HE URGES PROVISION
 FOR FOUR BATTLESHIPS
Diselaims Any Policy of Foreign
 Aggression.
Expresses Regret ct Action sf The Hague Conference and Declares That This County is Not Safe
 From Insult Without Guns.

Washington. April i4.--ccmprcsssd into what would be not more than ten minute speech on the floor of con- gress. President Roosevelt today urged that body In a special message to pro~ vide for the construction of four bat- l tleships of the largest and most ap- | proved type at once.
 The arguments of the president to | impress his insistencs on this naval program were few. but calculated to be effective; china was held up as an | example of the "peace-at-any-pr price" doctrine and Great Brition as having naval policy to be emulated.
 The result of the last Hague con- ference made 1t plain that the nations would not for sometime. If ever agree on a plan of limitation of naval arma- ment: A reason the president holds which cannot be relied upon as an ef- fective remedy. though 1t should be utilized to its fullest extent
 Disclaiming any intention on the part of the United States ever to en- gage in war of conquense. the president ill-afford to relax Into 6 place where insult would have to be borne in sii~ ence.
 Text of Message.
 The text of the message follows:
 ITO the Senate and House of Repre- sentatives:
 Let me again urge upon the Con- gress the need of providing for four battleships of the best and most aa- vanced type at this session.
 Prior to the recent Hague confer- ence 1t had been my hope that an agreement could be reached between the defendant nations to limit the in- crease of naval armaments and es- pecially to limit the size of warsnips Under these curcumstances felt that the construction of one battIeship . year would keep our navy up fo It's then positive and relative strength But actual expefieHce showed not merely. that ft was -in1possibls to obtain such an agreement for the limitation of armaments among the various lead z ing bowers. but there was no IlkeiI- hood whatever to obtaining 1t in the future within any reasonable time. h. cidentally with this discovery occurred radical change in the building of oattleships among the great military nations, in which the most modern battleship have been or are being con- structed, of size and Armament which doubles or more probably
 trebles their effectiveness.
 Every other great naval nation haar or is building a number of ships Of l this Kind; we have provided for but two. and therefore the balance of power is incllning against us. Undar these conditions to provide for but one or two battleshlps year is to provide that this nation instead of ad- vaneing. shall go backwards in naval rank and relative yower among the great nations. Such a course would ba unwise for us If we fronted merely on one ocean and 1t Is doubly unwiss
 when we front on two oceans.
 "As chief executive of the nation ana as commander in chief of the navy there is imposed upon me the solemn
 responsibility of advising the con- gress of the measures vitally necessary
 to secure the peace and welfare of tfaa republic in the event of international complications which are even remotely f possible.
 No War On congres.
 Having in view this solemn resnon.
 sibility earnestly advise that inc ? Congress now provide four battIeshipa of the most advanced type. I cannoe ? say that this is a measure of peace rS not of war. I can conceive of no eir- cumstances under which this republlo
 would enter Into an 3aggressive war. d stances would 1t enter into an aEsTea- . sive war to extend its territory or in r any other manner seek material az a grandizement.
 e T advocate that the United statsn Q build a navy commensurate with tt. d powers and needs. because I feel tns . such navy will be the surest Ruaran- Q ty and safeguard of peace.
 we are not military nation. o,,- army IS so small as to present an aI-
 most ADsurd contrast to our size Tt Is properly treated as little more th.r e nucleus for organization in ras~ of serious war, Yet We are a rich ,ss % ton and undefended wealth invtyoa T aggression. The very liberty of indf- l. vidual speech and action which we ao - prize and guard. renders 1t possible e that this unexpected cause of friction e with foreign powers may suddenly de- II velop.
 n At this moment we are neEotiatina. a arbitration treaties with all the other t great powers that are willing to en- ter into them. These arbitration treat A les have special usefulness because in the event of some sudden disagree-
 ment they render 1t morally incumbent . upon both nations to seek first to
 reach an agreement through arbitration n and at least serve a breathing spaca
 during which the cool judgment of the - two nations involved may get the up. Q per hand over any momentary burst E of anger. These arbitration treaties l. are entered into not only with the hope V. of preventing wrongdoing by others g against us, but also as proof that we I have no intention of doing wrong our- }. selves Yet it is idle to assume. ana . from the standpoint of national inter-
 est and honor. 1t is. mischievous folly ,. for any statesman to assume that the l W0TlQ mas yet EedCuEO SL0ke or mas
 come within measurable distance of . the stage when a proud nation. Jealous 6 of its honor and conscious of it's great g mission fin the world. can be content
 to rely for peace upon the forbearance s of other powers It would be equally s foolish to rely upon each of them pos r sessing at all time and under all cir = cumstances and provoeations an ai- t truistic regard for the rights of others d Are Blind to History. e .Those who hold this view are blind. O ad to all that has gone on before theil 3. ayes in the world at large. They art O hlind to what has happened in China s Tn Turkey, in the Spanish prosecutions IT Tn Central and South Africa during thu
 last dozen years For centuries Cninl ! has cultivated the very spirit whtcl
 1Confinaed on Psgs EigAt