Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-08-01

trouble, YlSa our land was divided
into two warning camps II will be
seen that the navy while never behind
In the performance OF duty, always
recognized that war, is for the def
mite purpose Of establishing perman.
ent and honorable peace. +
AT no time in that long and bitter
struggle was the navy even accused OF
wanton destruction, OF making war Tor
wars sake.
an no report of an action. In no
accorded speech by q representative
OF the navy of the United States can
there be found evidence OF o failure to
understand the mission of the navy.
In the war with Spain at the battle OF
Santiago the true spirit of a true re-
preventative OF the navy was illus
trated In the expression Of Captain
Phillip; Don't cheer, boys, those fel-
lows are dying. &
Thus will it ever be. r. h,
THE navy Of the United Slates is
the most powerful peace propaganda
In the United States. Every gun in
every battleship when it shall speak
will speak for peace. So long as
there are guns enough on board battle
ships enough there is, as our peace
agitators say. no nation on earth that
will be inclined to attack US. But let
the navy which is your first line Of
defense fall below tina. conditi N
vaguely called adequate, and venture
to say that war viii come to us
through the provocation of some coun-
try by the very men who declare there
can be no war.
I'm the last war We had, the terror
Of those who had been most noisy
for peace was q terrible trouble in
the mobilizing of our forces, and l
feel free to venture the opinion that
the lond-mouthed peace agitator will
again be luudest in condemnation OF
any inadequacy Of protection in case
Of war. II
q must be borne with when say
that while for more thaA hundred
years the navy has gone cheerfully
and brayely to its tasks, while 1t has
accomplished much in war, 1t has
never been sent out sufficiently
strong in any true sense Its equip
ment has been given 1t grudgingly,
and nothing but its skill, its courage
and Its inspired patriotism has
brought il success. On every occa-
sion when il has brought back to the
people the peace they required and
the commercial security they need
ed, it has basked for. time in the
sunshine, and then been allowed to
rot except since the Spanish war
while improved methods have pro-
dueed fine ships and guns. and deyeI-
oped high skill in the personnel, the
element of time in the building of
navy counts for more than 1t did in
the days of wooden sailing vessels.
While steel vessels deteriorate even
more rapidly than live oak ones, 1t
requires more time to build them.
The navy does not ask anything that
the people do not need.
'The people of the United States
are a very active people, they produce
many things in quantities in excess
of their needs, and they desire many
things that they must buy abroad.
Tnis means that they cannot live to
themselves alone. #
Gas human nature Is at present, in
lCISOuIEC 0AO OOulpCIAbAOh AuCoh
ton very often, and when two coun-
tries reach certain point, friction
means war where there are no re-
straints. .<
up to daie the possession Of the
means of defence has proved the
most efficacious preventive of yio-
lence To let your navy fall below
the proper standard then is to invite
trouble. r
What the standard for the navy is
will be determined by the policies we
desire 10 pursue. II we are prepared
to yield every point in every diplomat
ic contest: If we are willing to keep
our citizenS entirely within our own
If we are willing to hand
over our entire water-borne commerce
to the foreigners; if we are content