The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-01-21
ve're Without Transports for Troops
md Auxiliaries for the Navy, Con-
gresham Humphrey Tells
Lake Carriers.
nci6c Coast Without Protection
development of Merchant Marine
Solution Of Situation.

Pontchartrain, Thursday night, SAID
lhat the Pacific coast would be help
1ess In the event of war He urged
better merchant marine service, Say
ing the commerce of the United
states was completely In the hands
& of combination OF foreign ship com
4 NAMES He said in part:
b THE other nations of the earth
know we are utterly unprepared TOR
war. They know that our army Is
@ too small, that our navy Is prac-
4 ideally helpless because We have no
merchant vessels as an auxiliary
they know that we have no trans
6 ports for the one and no auxiliaries
Cor the other.
THE war department will tell you
that In case of contest We would
need for transport $50 vessels. We
have not on both oceans, 20 vessels
& II for this purpose. The department
will tell you that We would
need 40 vessels in Is days after
(. hooitilities were declared. We could
!. not have 40 vessels in 40 weeks;
1hey could not be secured until We
& had built at least half Of that num-
I'VE are more helpless today upon
1he Pacific than was Russia at inc
+ beginning of the war with japan.
RUSSIA and the United States are the
s onIy nations of the earth that nave
committed the criminal FOLLY OF
building a great navy Without III
E the same time building great mer-
chanf marine as an auxiliary, 10
furnish trained seamen for the yes
oels of war.
~All the indications of the pres.
mt point to the fact that IL war
roroes again IT will come upon the
racine. IL 1t does, and We remain
+ n our present condition, the fate OF
3 Russia will be our fate. The con-
Eiffon upon the Pacific ocean today
= disgrace and reflection upon
+ nc intelligence and patriotism oil
s <oneress and q menace to the ma
II do not prophesy war with ia
an. see no reason for war with
{hat country. / hope and believe
+ <hnt the friendly relations between
<k1s country and Japan that have
hgays existed will continue. war
tween Japan and the United
Ifafes would be crime against
&nmanity. But II il not given to
nv man to look into the seeds OF
me. and IL unhappily war should
o1ne. then want my country 10
20 prepared. The only guarantee
4 - peace upon the Pacific is to De
Irepared for war.
~Japan has 600 merchant vessels
Etn the Pacific At for transports. The
United States has six, Japan mas
n her ways today more than 90
&oonn eoing vessels under constriic-
|on. The United States not one and
IHn not had for more than seven
>orn. Japan can transport 250,oOO
roops at one time. The United
%kntes not more than 10000. Japan
~ SOC. 600 trained seamen for crews
rr her vessels OF war. On the Pa
INC there are not 1000 American
of1ors. Japan could place 100000
< 1ne6 IN the Philippines and 100000
- Hawaii before we could get 10000
roopa ready to embark from any
~ort upon the Pacific. The United
. 5fates could not get $4,000 troops in
1he Philippines in year even in
|lme OF peace without using foreign
1hips. thing she could not do In
tine OF war.
rIn case OF war Japan could
onne down the coast of Alaska 10
s uifhin As hours of Seattle, and all
11one teh Alaskan coast she would
&nd splendid harbors where she
. could coal her feet. Each Of these
p Alasllan harbors, totally unprotect-
"a, would practically answer for
the purpose OF naval base. From
1hese she could convoy transports
tarrying 100000 men with her en-
tire battle feet up TO the wharvas
~ Bellingham, city OF $4,000 peo-
rIe, without going within 25 miles
81 our nearest gun She could then
reixe Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, the
<overnment navy yard at Bremen
4 {on and Ave great transcontinentai
Railways, fortify the moun3in
* rnsses and have an empire upon
which to live. one OF the most pro
< 1uctiye regions upon the globe.
.she could do all this before We
E could ger $4,000 troops to the Pa
cifIc ocean. In such a contest Nc
would not dare attempt TO send
troops to either Hawaii or the Phil
" {opines. In case OF a contest with
Iapan all military authorities agree
HAT we could do nothing with The
army, we would have to depend
entirely upon cur navy, on the bat
<1eship fleet now on the Atlantic
"Bnt | have in my possession Z
4 letter over the signature Of tn,
secretary of the navy saying
that II was impossible to take OH
hcttleships from the Atlantic to The
Incific without using foreign ships Il
carry the coal. This could not b.
Zone I'm time Of war. American ships
do not exist, SO IL war were to com,
1Don the Pacific today our might!
1offIeship squadron could not leay,
ire port in which Il was anchore,
- come TO the rescue, and | Isl
.von II II IL not criminal folly {,
6xDond 130.000,000 year 20 main
<njn a navy In time OF war. ",
@oend millions OF dollars for bat
|cehips that are useless and refus,
20 expend even the pitifHl sum o
~ profits on our foreign mails 70
navy auxiliary that would maxi
hem effective.
To-day more than 90 per cent 0
~ foreiRn trade OF this country 4
@rrfed By foreign ships belonging |.
- pools, rings and conferences be
oon which there IL not the slightcs
ncfffion.
fkls combine OF foreign ships i
f. 11ost gigantic trust the world m
xn The commerce OF TIKI
ntry n absolutely at its mercy
head Of this greatest OF monoot
~ the Hambure-American e
n cpupany admitted . dividend Q
=. ~