The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-05-09
THE BIG NAVY.

1t would be interesting to know just what con-
siderations justified the action of congress i'll turn
ing down the four-battleshp plan of the president.
No matter what opinion may have as to the
merits of the proposition, the the the
cries upon which congress based its action would
be enlighening. Does it represent the popular
opinion that great naval establishment is
ace to international peace, or is there such popu-
lar opinion! The majority in congress against the
presidential policy suggests an independence of the
legislative branch from the executive branch of the
government that is pleasant to note And in view
of the vigor with which the president has pressed
other matters and secured favorable action the de-
feat of the four-battleship policy is somewhat sur
prisng.
The favorite policies of other presidents have
been defeated i'll the congress- but usually there has
been marked partisan division whe-. the final vote
was taken. In this problem of national policy. the
president has found support among the Demo
Gratis and opposition among his own party Not
wthstanding urgent appeals to their patriotism and
their craftsmanship the members of congress reject
ed the increased naval construction program.
Perhaps the impelling may be found in
the disturbed financial condition of the country.
Or maybe the clearing away of the war clouds
which have lowered about the country and seemed
to threaten foreign has sienced the jingoes
and permitted dispassionate Judgment What
ever it was which influenced the congress, the ac-
ton seems to settle the national policy as to naval
armament and serves notice upon the world that
other considerations than big navy are to be re-
lied upon for national defense An adequate navy
is supported by practically everybody but just what
constitutes adequate navy furnishes STUN
bling block between the executive and legislative
branches of the government, just as it furnishes
cause of disagreement among laymen
The decision of the congress against the navy
increase, which no doubt was arrived at after thor
ough consideration of any secret reasons which
might have swayed the presidential 1nind as well as
the advocates of the presidents policy, seems to
emphasize the wisdom of the tentative policy of our
earlier statesmen. Washington was against large
military establishment preferring an even-handed
justice to maintain domestic tranquility rather
than the adoption of policies whose enforcement |
would require the force of armed power. Although
in the early days of the republic the orient had not
entered the field of world politics. the opinion of
the early statesmen regarding entangements in old
world disputes, and which policy in time became one
u INC pIlLclpleS Oh JD6 nation, we'll
pc harked back to- to vindicate the present con
yress in not sustaining the war spirit of the pres
dent The time-honored policy thus once mere
thrust before the people will have tendency fl
urn their minds from the theory that big navy
5 essential to the preservation of international
,eace. of defense of the nation and to the main
enance of American influence in counses Of the
world powers
In the discussion before the final vote on tbe
propositions it was declared that the naval pro-
ram of the United States must follow that of
European nations; that America must maintain
is relative rank as the second naval power of the
World; that there must" be feet in the Pacific
5 well i'll the Atlantic ocean competent TO meet
he fleet of any nation with which we NAV become
involved in dispute. While time alone can tell tba
'isdom or folly of the recent decision that the ma
ion must" do these things is amply refuted bv its
OF doing them-at least not to the extent of four
ew battleshps. The action may encourage the
apid growth of sentiment which makes for peace
trough conferences and arbitration 1t may en-