The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-07

the regular army Their period OF
annual training would not necessarily
! exceed two months in the year.
j 1t would depend upon the patriotic
| feeling of the younger men of the
country whether they respond to such
a call to service or not. 1t would
depend upon the patriotic spirit of the
| employers of the country whether
| they made it possible for the younger
I men in their employ to respond under
| favorable conditions or not. 1, for one
do not doubt the patriotic devotion
/ either of our young men or of those
| who give them employment-those
/ for whose benefit and protection they
would in fact enlist I would look
! forward to the success of such an ex-
pertinent with entire confidence
At least so much by way of pre-
paration for defense seems to me to
be absolutely imperative. We cannot
! do less
The program which will be laid
/ before you by the secretary of the
! navy is similarly conceived. 1t involves
only shortening of the time within
which plans long matured shall be
carried out; but it does make definite
and explicit a program which has
/ heretofore been only implicit, held in
/ the minds of the committees on naval
/ affairs and disclosed IN the debates
! of the two houses but nowhere form
/ ulated or formally adopted. 1t seems
/ to me very clear that it will be to the
advantage of the country for the con-
/ greSS to adopt comprehensive plan
/ for putting the navy upon final foot
| ing of strength and efficiency and to
/ press that plan to completion within
the next five years. We have always
! looked to the navy of the country as
I our first and chief line of defense; we
! have always seen it to be our mani
fest course of prudence to be strong
on the seas. Year by year we have
been creating a navy which now ranks
very high indeed among the navies of
the maritime nations. We should
I definitely determine how
shall complete what we have begun,
and how soon.
The program to be laid before you
contemplates the construction within |
five years of ten battleships, six bat |
tie cruisers. ten scout cruisers. fifty |
deStroyers, fifteen fleet submarines, |
eighty-five coast submarines, four
gunboats, one hospital ship, two am |
munition ships, two fuel oil ships, and |
one repair ship 1t is proposed that |
of this number we shall the first year |
provide for the construction of two |
battle ships. two battle cruisers, three |
scout cruisers, fifteen destroyers, five |
fleet submarines, twenty-five coast |
submarines, two gunboats, and one !
hospital ship; the second year, two |
battleShipS, one scout cruiser, ten |
destroyers, four fleet submarines,
fifteen coast submarines, one gun
boat, and one fuel oil ship; the third |
year. two battleships. one battle cruis-
er, two scout cruisers live deStroyerS,
two fleet submarines, and fifteen coast |
submarines; the fourth year. two bat
tie ships, two battle cruisers two |
scout cruisers, ten destroyerS, two i
fleet submarines, fifteen coast sub
marines, one ammunition ship, and !
one fuel oil ship; and the fifth year.
two battle ships, one battle cruiser
two scout cruisers, ten destroyers two
fleet submarines. fifteen coast sub
marines, one gunboat, one ammuni-
ton ship, and one repair ship.
The secretary of the navy is asking
also for the immediate addition to the
personnel of the navy of seven thou
sand five hundred sailors. twenty-five
hundred apprentice seamen, and fiji
teen hundred marines. This increase
would be sufficient 90 care for the
ships which are to be completed with
in the fiscal year 1917 and also for the
number of men which must be put
in training to man the ships which
will be completed early in 1918. 1t is
also necessary that the number of
midShipmen at the Naval academy at
Annapolis should be increased by
at least three hundred in order that
the force of officers should be more
rapidly added to; and authority is ask
ed to appoint, for engineering duties
only, approved graduates of engineer
ing colleges, and for service in the
aviation corps certain number OF
men taken from civil life.
If this full programme should be
carried out we should have built or
building in 1921, according to the es-
Inmates of survival and standards of
Board of the Department, an effective
navy consisting of twenty-seven bat
tleShips, of the first line, six battle
cruisers, twenty-five battleShfpS OF the
second line, ten armored cruisers, thir-
teen scout cruisers, five first class
cruisers, three second class cruisers, /
ten third class cruisers, one hundred
and eight deStroyers, eighteen fleet ,
submarines, one hundred and fifty ;
seven coast submarines, six monitors, ;
twenty gunboats, four supply ships,
troy AfNr-tG
three tenders to torpedo vessels, eight
vessels of special types, and two am
munition ships. This would be a navy .
fitted to our needs and worthy of our
traditions
But armies and Instruments of
war are only part of what has to
be considered If we are to consid-
err the supreme matter of national
self-sufficiency and security in all
its aspects. There are other great
matters which will lie thrust upon
our attention whether we will or
not There, is, for example, a very
pressing question of trade and
shipping involved in this great
problem of national adequacy. 1t
is necessary for many weighty
reasons of national efficiency and
development that we should have
great merchant marine The
great merchant fleet we once
used to make rich, that great
body Of sturdy sailors who used
to carry our flag into every sea,
and who were the pride and often
the bulwark of the nation. we
have almost driven out of exist
ence by incXcuSable neglect and
indifference and by hOpelessly
blind and provincial policy of So
called economic protection. 1t is
high time we repaired our mis-
take and resumed our commercial
independence on the seas
For it is question of independence.
If other nations go to war or seek to
hamper each others commerce, our
it seems, are at their mer-
cy. to do with as they please. We
must use their ships. and use them
dato Ia nnf SkirS