The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-02-15
MORE WARSH|PS ON
PACIFIC WOULD
STOP TALK
uEku AnytIu Al sCHIEI
VETERAN FIGHTER SAYS U. S.
SHOULD HAVE % DRYoocks
AND NAVAL sTATloNs-JAPAN
.kis ovER,zEALoUs.
-REAR-ADMInAL sCHLEf.

, WASHINGTON. Feb. l5.-AdnlraI
Winfield Scott Schley hero OF the
: battle of Santiago. in which the span
Z ish fleet commanded by Admiral Ger
we're was annihilated on July I, 1898,
/, retired now from active naval service
az his home, No. 1926 LIST, y W. dis
! cussed the militant. peaceful ana re
Z ligious relations OF the United states
toward other powers
MIR. Iiearsts insistence that the
, Pacific coast be fortified with addl-
tional naval strength said he, ls
sound Americanism. and It's logic can
be disputed by no one. | think the
Pacific coast should be supplied with
at least IS drydocks and naval sta
lions. the central station being san
Francisco.
1T would be indicate for me IN
my position 10 tell congress what Il
should do or to advise the admins
tration as to how many battleshlps IL
should keep W on the Pacific coast
Ny knowledge now is that we nave
| % or more fighting ships in the Pacific.
But none of these, unfortunately, are
battleships.
More Warships, Less Talk
IF we possessed more guns aud
more steam power and more powder
| In that region IL is possible that We
! would hear less talk OF war.
II do not think that there is a man
| I'm the navy or in the army who be
lieves In fighting. Surely. none of us
who have seen bloodshed or been In
l the conflict OF battle revere such mem
\ cries. My idea is that all army and
navy men would much rather be bish-
ops than colonies or admirals. We
J would then sleep sounder nights.
But from the dawn OF time the hI-
man race has been a fighting race.
Wars come OF competition for com
! mercial advancement. Let us take
the prize fighter, Jeffries. His right
arm possesses a terrible swing-a ter
rife punch. You and having also an
athletic training, We will say, having
licked the fellows around US. become
jealous of the reputation OF Jeffries.
It is the natural desire to discover
whether this man really Is the aweing
creature that re has been pictured.
$50 IL Is, think, with Japan. She
went against one OF the most powerful
nations OF civilization. ami that ma
fion was subdued. She heard OF an
American sentiment that was inhar-
monious with her commercial and mill
tary ambitions. 1t would not be fair
10 say that the government OF Japan
Intelligent government that IL is,
friendly government too, might say
lis now or ever was DESTROYS of
ciashing swords with America, but the
people behind the ruling powers Of
the little island, inflated and over
jealous because OF their former tri
umphs. have had II in their minds
that they could lick the universe.
1T may be that some of these years
long to come the United States may
be licked by some power or other
But l doubt IL any one existing on
either hemisphere could do it now. II
we were suddenly engaged in a con.
fiict, we might be temporarily embar-
rassed because OF the lack OF war
ships, because OF the lack OF military
material. because OF the absence of
coast defense. But to whip this cour-
try or to embarrass it for more than
day or two would be like comparing
the athletic force and energy OF Bait.
ling Nelson TO that OF Jim Jeffries,
or OF small savings bank deposito-
20 that OF an 4. II. Hartman deposit
tor. We have the men. We have all
OF us, that national pride which when
aroused is invincible. Moreover, our
nation Is blessed with so many nat
ural resources that we could fight for
an Understandable period without
causing hunger in any home.
Could III Afford to Quarrel.
"It would be inadvisable for me as
an attache OF the navy department t.
suggest TO the government how our
coasts. both east and west. might be
better fortified. agree with the presi-
dent that we could i'll afford 20 pick a
quarrel with Japan at the present
time. do not mean 10 say that this
government would be embarrassed
we're war declared but ! do mean TO
say that I do not think the circum.
stances so far presented are sufficient
10 precipltate a conflict believe.
however. that this war talk will so in.
huence the American people that they
will Insist that congress will provide
the seas with those instruments that
really insuEar peace"