The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-14
If We Had More Guns and
More Powder in Pacific, He
Says, There Would Be Much
Less War Talk. 80,
AMERICA COULD Me
LOSE ANY CONFLICT
Other Nations, Says the Fight
er, Would Have No More
Chance Than "Bat" Nelson
Over Jim JeffrieS.

Washington. Feb. 13.-Admiral Win
field Scott Schley, hero of the battle
off Santiago in which the Spanish
fleet was annihiliated July 4. 1899, re-
tired now from active naval service,
discussed today the relations of the
United States toward other powers.
'Insistence that the Pacific coast
be fortified with additional naval
strength said he, lis sound Ameri-
canism, and it's logic can be disputed
by none. think the Pacific coast
should be supplied with at least 2S
dry docks and naval stations. the cen
trail station being San Francisco.
He Will Not Advise.
ut would be indelicate for me in
my position to tell congress what it
should do or to advise the administra-
ton as to how many battleships it
should keep upon the Pacific coast.
My knowledge now is that we have
25 or more fighting ships in the Paci-
fic. But none of these. unfortunate
ly, are battleships. If We possessed
more guns and more steam power and
more powder in the region it is possi-
BILE that we would hear less talk of
war.
Il do not think that there is a man
in the navy or in the army who be-
lieves in fighting. Surely none of us
who have seen bloodshed or have
been in the conflict of battle revere
such memories. My idea is that army
and navy men would much rather be
bishops than colonels or admirals.
But from dawn of time the human
race has been a fighting race. Wars
come of competition for commercial
advancement. Let US take Prize Figh-
ter Jefferies, his right arm posscs.<
terrible swinging punch. You and
I having also athletic training. we will
say and having licked fellows around
us, we are jealous of the reputation
of Jeffries and it is the natural desire
to discover whether this man really
is the aweing creature he has been
pictured.
Japan SweII-Headed.
$50 it is, think. with Japan. She
went against one of the most powerful
nations of civilization and that nation
was subdued. She heard of American
sentiment that was inharmonious with
her commercial and military ambi-
tons 1t would not be fair to say
that the government of Japan-intelli-
gent government that it is, friendly
government too. I might say-is now
or ever was desirous Of clashing
swords with America. but people be-
hind the ruling powers of the little
island. inflated over jealous because
of former triumphs, have had in their
minds that they could lick the uni
verse.
May be Licked Some Day.
"It may be that some of these years
long to come, the United States may
be licked by some power or other. but
doubt if any one existing on either
hemisphere could do it now. II we
were suddenly engaged in a conflict
We might be temporarily embarrassed
because OF the lack of warships: be-
cause of the lack of military material; !;
because of the absence of coast de-
fense. But to whip this country or to
embarrass us for more than a day or
two would be like comparing the ath-
letic force and energy of Battling Mel
son to that of Jim Jeffries or a small
savings bank depositor to that of an
E. H. Hartman depositor. We have
men; We have all of that national
pride, which. when aroused. is irwin
chile. Moreover our nation is blessed
with so many natural resources that
we could fight for indeterminable per.
iod without causing hunger in any
home"