Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1910-03-03
wonders how long IL will last. or
what will be the result OF the evolu-
ton in popular government.


seas. and the Stars and Stripes could
be seen in every port in the world.
The flag at present is confined ex-
clusively TO our interior and coast
trade. Two years ago when our
battle-ships circumnaviga.ed the
globe. they were supplied with pro.
visions and coal by foreign vessels.
Elk Secretary OF the Treasury Leslie
Shaw has recently made the startling
announcement that Japan is deter
mined 10 rule the Pacific or tinge its
wave with blood. and he has added
TO this statement details as to how
Japan can do it. He says that we
hired twenty seven foreign ships TO
carry supplies for our around the
world battle ships, and that one hos
tile shot from any country that owns
q cannon would under international
law have sent every one OF these
twepty-seven ships home, for no
country can afford 10 have it's flag
involved In our quarrels. He furtE-
or stated that in 1909 the War De-
partment hired over forty foreign
ships TO do It's work, and that we
are sending food to the soldiers in
the Philippine Islands in Japanese
ships. He stated further that Japan
can put two hundred thousand sold
iers in Hawaii in thirty days with
out firing a shot, and that it would
take US two years to put one hun
dred thousand there. The Ex-Se-
cretary OF the Treasury mas happy
faculty OF graphic statement and H.
lustration, and his combination of
arithmetic and rhetoric produce a
vivid, impressive and true picture.
For better or worse, we have become
first class power and part Of the
international system. This has been
brought about through our Hawaii
and our Philippines. The secure
insularity once afforded US by the
two great oceans is no longer ours.
We must be able to defend our iron
tiers, Hawaii in mid Pacific and the
Philippines in Asiatic waters. We
cannot do this without soldiers and
ships, not only war ships, but col
liers and cOmmissary ships. How
are We to get sailors and ships
when, owing to our tariff, other ma
tions can build ships and employ
sailors for half the price that we
must pay, or ia the case OF Japan,
for less than one fifth the price we
must pay. AS Mr.. Shaw says,
These are not state secrets. Every
body knows them except our voters.
We are building battle ships, and
this is well. but battle-ships with
out Golfers and transports are alb
solutely worthless. In case of war
we could not get our Atlantic fleet
to San Francisco. No vessel in the
fleet can carry enough coal to take it
there. We have 20 Golfers, and
could then hire none" Elk Secre-
tary Shaw further stated that if
every powder mill in the United
States was TO make powder twenty
|
the product would last our present
Navy only two hours.
-"
President Taft is advocating a ma
val program calling for the building
OF two immense battleships OF the
Is thousand ton class each year I'M
I'll the Panama Canal shall be finish
ed. This means ten battle ships of
the heaviest tonnage and guns. He
desired to carry out the Roosevelt
Big Stick" policy under the i'm
preston that the best safeguard
against war is to be fully armed for
it. The Panama Canal. it is cal
culated, will be completed in 1918,
and is urged that after its compile
tion the naval program eau be reduc-
ed. for then instead OF sending fleets
around Cape Horn for the protection
OF our Pacific border, they can be
sent through the Canal and coaled
at several depots of our own en-
route. 1t is thought that Congress
will make an appropriation for the
two ships a year program.