The Colorado statesman., 1909-03-06

in defense of its own trade interests.
in the maintenance of traditional
American policy against the colonial
ton of European monarchies in this
hemisphere, and in the promotion of
peace and international morality. |
refer to the cost of maintaining a
proper army. proper navy and suit
able Notifications upon the mainland
of the United States and in its depend-
encies.
We should have an army so organ
lied, and so officered as to be capable
in time of emergency, in cooperation
with the national militia. and under
the provisions of a proper national
volunteer law, rapidly to expand into
force sufficient to resist all probable
invasion from abroad and to furnish
respectable expeditionary force. If
necessary, in the maintenance OF our
traditional American policy which
bears the name of President Monroe.
Calls for Strong Army and Navy.
Our Notifications are yet in a state
of only partial completeness and the
number of men to man them is INSULT
cient. In few years, however, the
usual annual appropriations for our
coast defenses both on the mainland
and in the dependencies, will make
them sufficient to resist all direct at
tack, and by that time we may hope
that the men to man them will be pro-
vided as necessary adjunct. The
distance of our shores from Europe
and Asia of course reduces the neces-
sity for maintaining under arms a
great army. but it does not take away
the requirement of mere prudence,
that we should have an army suffi-
cfently large and so constituted as to
form nucleus out of which a suit
able force can quickly grow.
What has been said of the army
may be affirmed in even a more en-
phatic way of the navy. A modern
navy cannot be improvised. 1t must
be built and in existence when the
emergency arises which calls for its
use and operation. My distinguished
predecessor has in many speeches and
messages set out with great force and
striking language the necessity for
ate with the coast line, the govern
mental resources and the foreign trade
OF our nation; and l wish to reiterate
all the reasons which he has pre-
scented in favor of the policy of main
tanning strong navy as the best con-
servator of our peace with other ma
lions and the best means of securing
respect for the assertion of our rights,
the defense of our Interests and the
exercise of our influence in interna-
tional matters.
Our International policy is always
to promote peace. We shall enter
into any war with a full conscious
ness of the awful consequences that
1t always entails, whether successful
or not, and we, of course shall make
every effort. consistent with national
honor and the highest national inter
est, to avoid resort to arms. We
favor every instrumentality, like that
of The Hague tribunal and arbitration
treaties made with view to its use
in all international controversies, in
order to maintain peace and to avoid
war. But We should be blind to ex-
listing conditions, and should allow
ourselves TO become foolish idealists,
If We did not realize that with all the
nations OF the world armed and pre-
pared for war, We must be ourselves
in similar condition, in order 90 pre-
vent other nations from taking ad-
vantage of us and of our inability to
defend our interests and assert our
rights with a strong hand. In the
international controversies that are
likely to arise in the orient, growing
out of the question of the open door
and other issues, the United States
can maintain her interests intact and
can secure respect for her just de-
mands. She will not be able to do so,
however, if it is understood that she
never intends to back up her asser-
ton of right and her defense of her
interest by anything but mere verbal
protest and diplomatic note. For
these reasons, the expenses of the
army and navy and of coast defenses
should always be considered as some
thing which the government must pay
for and they should not be cut off
through mere consideration of econ
omy. Our government is able TO af-
ford a suitable army and a suitable
navy. 1t may maintain them without
the slightest danger to the republic
or the cause of free institutions, and
fear of additional taxation ought not
to change a proper policy in this re-
gard.
The policy of the United States in
hn cir ho,
1t position of influence among the
nations that it never had before and
should be constantly exerted to Sc
curing to its bona fide citizens, wheth-
er native or naturalized, respect for
them as such in foreign countries.
We should make every effort to pre-