The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-02-04
BRANCH NAVY LEAGUE
PROPOSED FOR CANTON

A branch of the Navy league of the
United States is proposed for Can
ton, If the citizens show a sufficient
desire for it. Within a month or six
weeks, another lecturer in the employ
of the league will come to this city
for the purpose Of creating interest in
the proposition. He will probably re-
main here for some time, delivering
lectures and taking other preliminary
steps toward organizing such branch
here. He will follow in the wake o
Fighting Bob" Evans, whose main
purpose in travelling about the United
States, is in the interest of the Navy
league.
The objects of the league are to ac-
quire and spread before the citizens of
the country information as to the
United States naval forces and ships
and to awaken public interest and ac-
tivity in all matters tending to aid
improve and develope the efficiency of
the navy. The Navy league has no
proposals for great increase inv the
cost of the navy. 1t does not suggest
that We have the biggest navy on
earth. 1t emphatically disapproves
! "jingoism" in relation to other ma
tions or going about with chip on
our shoulder President Roosevelt
has personally endorsed the work OF
the Navy league, and is enrolled as
an honorary member of the organ
| ization.
A representative of the Navy
league says: THE navy is the big
gest and best training school in the
United States. Thousands of boys
and young men are entering our navy
every year to learn useful trade, fol
| it requires machinists, electricians
| firemen, engineers and others mechan
les as well as seamen to run battle
ship. A trained man is an asset to {
nation and it is by no means an un
missed evil for man to fail to re
enlist The nation has almost uncon
sciously developed the biggest and
best trade school in the country within
it's navy.
within recent years both soldiers
and sailors have been refused admit
tance at theatres and places of amuse
ment because they were in the uni
form of their country's service. The
Navy league resents this attitude and
| is in favor of state and national laws
that will in the future prevent such
disgraceful and unpatriotic discrimi
nation"
Plans are on foot to enable the
various sections of the Navy league tc
furnish at slight cost, stereopticoI
lectures in our public schools on "The
Navy in Our Country's History" The
educational value of such a plan is
inestimable and little trouble should
be encountered in systematically con
ducting in all OF the schools.
The present aim of the Navy league
is to acquire membership of 1000, 00(
within the next few years. The Navy
league of Germany has a membership
of 100000, Great Britain 10000, SpaiI
$4,000, Italy 10000, France 5000, Por
tugal 1900. The United States Navy
League has but 5000 at present. The
entrance fees for members is 81, an
nual dues for members, 81; life mem
bership, $25; founders, $780, Minors
are also eligible under special provi
sion as to dues, regarding which ful
information will be given upon appli
cation to the secretary of the league.
At Toledo, to which place Fighting
Bob" Evans went after leaving Can
ton, steps towards organizing branch
have already been taken.