The Washington herald., 1911-02-14
SOUNDS WARNING
TO REPUBLICANS
Secretary Meyer Holds Up
BugabOO of 1912.
MUST GET TOGETHER, HE SAYS
Guests ut Republican Club Dinner
Mt New York Discern Tip from Taft
Roosevelt Voices Approval of
Canadian Reciprocity.

New Pork. Feb 13-The Secretary of
the Navy, George Won l.. Meyer. repre-
senting President Taft at the Republican
Clubs dinner Tonight. at the Waldorf.
besOught the Republicans of this State and
of the country to sink differences and get
together If they want to prevent Demo-
cratic victory in 1872.
To the right and left of the Secretary
were Republicans who did not pull to-
gether in the campaign just passed, and
when Mr.. Meyer got going in an exceed
ingly frank talk they pricked up their
ears all along the guest table from
Barnes, Of Albany, Roosevelt. of Oys-
ter Bay. Whether or not the assumption
was warranted. the banqueters received
Mr.. Meyers advice as a straight tip
from the President.
In the course Of his address the Sec
retary made the fiat statement that It
is the intention of the government to de-
velop Pearl Harbor. San Francisco Bay,
and Puget Sound in order that. after the
Panama Canal has been completed. the
entire fleet may be maintained on the
Pacific Coast
The Secretary did not ampnfy the
statement which had keenIy interested
the hundreds of men present, but passed
quickly on to other topics.
He told the story of how narrowly tn"
United States missed the honor Of put
ting into commission the first Dread
nOught, just as We built the first monitor.
Describes Drcadnought's Strength.
Secretary Meyer wondered if peopl"
really have an adequate notion of the
tremendous strength of the Dreadnoushts
of the United States navy. He thought
Prof. Hollis, of Harvard, expressed it
when he said:
A single one of the American battle
feet lately returned from Europe. in
the hands of the Confederary. would
have destroyed the entire Northern
navy"
TIL" Secretary said that men as well as
SnipS have improved. He doubted that
many people knew that 10 per cent of the
4, nlist"d men in the navy are AmcriCan-
bUrn-yUung men of high intelligence
from every walk of life. And whether
war comes or not the men ar" benefited.
continued the Secretary, because the navy
trains them for trade.
rh" Secretary said it would be bad
business to attempt to rebuild or recon-
strct worn-O4 hattI" ships-to try to
make three rcSGiIt ones do the work of a
NV and perfected ship.
The fleet, if kept up to date and with
the proper efficiency. is an insurance
against war" said he, and as long as
our fleet is efficient and of sufficient size
We can be sure that We will not have
war"
He described hat he has cndeavored To
accomplish in introducing business meth I
Ods into the department and promoting
economy. He wants to see the Bureau of
Equipment abolished
Harmony Much in Evidence.
There was undoubtedly a keener in
terest among city and state Republicans
than for years as to what would happen |
at the Lincoln dinner tonight Leaders |
OF every faction and element in the /
party were invited to sit on the dais or |
at front tables on the main floor. and /
side by side were placed folks who had |,
bckered and Quarreled and said harsh !
things about each other for the greater |
part of last Autumn, Outwardly friendly, |
50 il appeared the object of the dinner !
committee and of the Hon. Seth Low. |
official peacemakcr. was achieved. There /
was all kinds Of business Of Misunderstanding /
and kind words. Harmony drippcd pal !
pably.
Early in the dinner William Barnes !
jr. of Albany. who is state chairman |
now, but who was not by a long shot /
heIOre the wallOping the party got last !
November. got up from his seat at the |
guest table and walked to the right He !
stopped at Col RoOsevelt's chair and !
Put out his hand. They dropped into .
chairs and talked for five minutes. some /
times seriously. sometimes laughingly.
Not the least interesting feature of |
the banquet was the predOminanCe OF |
one topic while the members of the club |
and their guests were busy with the |
CnurseS-President Taft's fight for reci-
prOcity with Canada
If the comments made at that stage of
the dinner, and if the applause received