The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-10-14
GOOD NEWS FOR THE NAVY.

GOOD NEWS FOR THE NAVY.
The news which comes ?som Wash
ington with regard to the disposition Of
President Wilson toward the Navy.
must be received with qualification
throughout the whole country. I'm
doubtedly, Secretary Daniels has had
a good deal to do with the fixing of
the President IS mind upon the Navy
and Of the need to strengthen it, so as
to keep the United States in its proper
position as the chief naval power of
the world, second only TO Great Brit
ain. And our predominance ought to
be so pronounced and determined that
there would be no mistake amout it.
many has been gaining upon us, and
is now a stronger naval power than
we are. Japan is also rivaling us. This
is all wrong. The relative position of
the United States and Germany in sea
power should be corrected so that we
would be far above any rivalry with
| Germany. Our long shore line upon
both the Atlantic and the Pacific
oceans indicates, indeed, that we ought
| to be the first power on the seas, In
place Of the second, 1t is very likely
that this will be the ultimate determi-
nation Of the American people, and that
when proper adjustments are made the
American Navy will be the strongest
of all
But just now extraordinary interest
attaches to the news that President
Wilson has endorsed Secretary Dan
iels's programme that we must provide
during the present fiscal year for the
building Of three new battleships and
the proportionate number Of submar-
ines, torpedo-boat destroyers, cruisers,
and general naval auxiliariee, without
delay. This is in pursuance Of the
policy Of the General Navy Board, out
lined some eight years ago, and which
was faithfully followed until the Demo
cratic House was elected in 1910. Since
then there has been an apparent deter
mination on the part of the Democrats
that they would not yield to the point
of Strengthening the Navy, but would
let the Navy languish and fall way be-
low even the naval strength Of Japan.
The programme as outlined by Sec
retary Daniels and said to be endorsed
by President Wilson will not only keep
on with the Naval Board g plan, but
will catch up a little on the past three
years neglect. This the country can
well afford to do, and it ought to do,
without any murmuring or delay.
It is favorite device Of the ultra
peace advocates to say that the money
put into battleship would do wonders
in promoting peace and advancing vari-
GUS schemes that are proposed. Which
is true enough in way; but the su-
preme Importance of having superior
defense for the country against all ag-
gression Is the absolute indispensable
that must always be kept in mind For
otherwise, no matter how much we may
build up in peace, any ravager power
full enough could come and take away
from us by war. 1t is only by build
ing In security these peace achieve
ments that are desirable that we make
any headway. For if we cannot pro-
tect what we build in peace, we are
from US. This is the history Of the
world in all ages, and it is not reason
able to anticipate any other results for
ourselves than what experience has
shown to be inevitable.
The indispensable thing, therefore, is
to make ourselves impregnable, and so
formidable that no nation would think
for one moment of assailing US.
Through a great navy this may be more
effectively done than in any other man
ner. And for this reason the country
has reason to be grateful to Secretary
Daniels for pushing this programme of
naval activity, and to President Wilson
for his approval of that programme. We
trust that the President may be able
to handle the Democratic members of
Congress so as to make them see the
need of coming to the support of this
naval construction, They have been
reluctant to do this, but now that their
party is in power, and is responsible for
the welfare and safety Of the country,
it may fairly be assumed that they can
be brought to reason on this question.
And President Wilson is the very man
to bring them to reason, since he has
shown the supremacy Of his methods
over his supporters in Congress in such
remarkable way that there seems to
be no reason to doubt his ability to
persuade or coerce the Democrats to
come to the support Of his policies and
propositions whenever he is really in
earnest about them.