The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-02-25
WAS WISE AND NECESSARY
Money Spent IN Building Was No
UnproduCtlve
Its Dispatch to the Pacific Ocean No
Indication of Unfriendliness Toward
Any Other Nation-Resolution OF
1iIlman's Adopted - Business il
House CnimpOrtant.

House Cnimportant. ...
Washington, February -i.-A 0e
Tense OF the policy OF sending the Am
eTican battleships to the Pacific ocean
and maintaining that the vast expen-
diture on the new navy was fully
warranted was made in the senate to
day by Senator Perkins, Of California
His remarks were directed to the reso-
luton which he had read at the deSa
as follows:
Resolved, That it should be the poi
Icy of this government, while not
adopting d continuous program hiking
the number OF naval vessels Of anV
type to be built in future years, to
maintain it's present relative position
in comparison with the navies of the
other great powers"
THE policy" he said, which sent
the fleet to the Pacific is wise and
necessary if we are to retain on the
ocean the prestige that will give
fair and open field to our sea trade"
This was in no way an indication Of
any unfriendliness on the part OF the
United States toward any other ma
ton. The reception the fleet has re-
ceived in South America, he declared,
was an Indication of the friendliness
of those people toward the United
States.
. When the fleet now ON its way to
San Francisco is Joined Dy the other
effective vessels on the Pacific" Mr..
Perkins said, 1--WE shall have a fleet
Of eighteen battleships, eight armored
cruisers, thirteen. protected cruisers.
thirteen destroyers, five torpedo boats
and two submarines. The battleshlp5
and cruisers alone aggregate 423,17
tons, while the other naval power on
the Pacif1c-Japan-has only 374.7o1
tons of all classes of vessels. The Pa
cif1c feet will be amply able to pro-
tect our interests in that ocean.
Attention was called to the unbrOk
ep record of bravery which the navy
presents from it's earliest beginning
and on the Pacific those who man
vessels will have the example OF Com
modore Sloat, Admiral Kimberley and
Admiral Dewey for inspiration.
The senator sketched the growth Of
the new navy from 1888, when the
vessels of the famous White Squadron
were authorized to the present day,
when the United States has become
the second sea power in the world,
surprising France by a small margin
in the strength of our fighting force
and far outstripping German, Russia
and Japan. And this lead, he said, the
United States is easily able to main
tain by authorizing only two more
battleships of the big gun type.
Reference was made to the change
in the character of battleships which
resulted from the lessons of the naval
engagements during the Russo-Japan-
ese war, which taught the Importance
of big ships carrying big guns so that
greater weight Of metal can be brought
within a shorter battle line
The cost of the vessels of the new
navy, building or authorized, is $780,
359, 100, while the total expenditures
on account Of the naval establishment
since 1883 is 81 ,234 651 ,O92,' said MI.
Perkins, But this vast expenditure
is not, as may be claimed by some
rnproductive. The construction Of the
ships of our navy gave such stimulus
to the irol tcaie tha: now we are
the greatest iron and steel manufac-
turer in the world In 1880 there were
only fourteen hundred wage earn
ers in the iron and steel industries
of the country earning $;5.000.cG1 and
turning out products worth 1926, ,000,-
000 In 1905 there were $4,000 wage
earners earning $4s2, ,000,0 900 and turn
ing out products worth s2,176,000, 900.
And there is hardly an industry in the
land that has not been benefited in
a similar way, though not perhaps in
so marked way. The money expended
on. the ships of war was not there
fore an economic loss. judged by a sin
gle trade alone" ..........
Senator Perkins closed by calling
attention to the brilliant service OF our
feet at the time, Of the Spanish war,
and to the deeds Of heroism then per-
formed. ~- -... ....
The Tillman resolution instructfng
the attorney general to prosecute suits
against transportation companies in
Oregon which have received land
grants and have not complied with
terms of the grants was today called
UP by Senator Fulton and passed by
the sentate without debate. When this
resolution was before the senate
few days ago. Mr.. Fulton stated that
the department sf justice was ready
to proceed with the prosecution in
these cases, but in order to avoid the
raising Of any question concerning