New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-01

these matters, you will ncvcrtheleAs ne
lievo that IL is also possible, ana as
sure YOU that II il most likely, that INC
government Of the United states WIZ
have adequate means Of control ling TINS
matter very thoroughly, indeed %
there need be no fcar on that slde. Le'
nobody make you suppose thnt TINS ~
II money making agitation would
for one. be ashamed TO be such dupo
as TO be engaged in II If It had any su7-
picion Of that type.
"Not ~ Innocent" as He Looks
"Rut am not as innocent ns look
and believe that can say for my col
lci cues in Washington that they are
lust a. watchf full in such matters hs you
would desire them TO be
"Now. there is another miaapprenen-
sion that I do not wish you TO enter
thin Don't suppose that there ~ any
now or sudden OF recent inadequacy on
tho mart Of this government win re-
sncct to preparation for national de-
fence.
81 have heard some gentlemen say
that we have no coast detences worm
f,lking about. because defences are not
NOWADAYS advertised. you understand,
and they are not visible 70 the naked
eve So that if you passed them ana
nothing exploded you would not kno"
That thew we're there. And the coast de-
fences Of the United States, while nol
numerous enough, are equipped IN inc
most modern and efficient fashion.
You arc told that there has been
some sort Of neglect about the navy
There has not been any sort OF neglect
about the navy. We have been slowly
building up navy which in quality IS
second 10 no navy in the world. Inc
oulv thing IN lacks ia quantity. In size
Il is the fourth navy in the world,
though I have heard IL said by some
gentlemen i'm this very region that It
was the second. In fighting forco,
though not in quality, it is reckoned by
experts TO be the fourth in rank in the
world. And vet when / 90 on board
those ships and see their equipment
and talk with their officers | suspect
that they could give an account OF
themselves which would raise them
above the fourth class. 1t reminds one
Of that very quaint saying Of the Ola
darkv preacher: The Lord says unto
Moses. "Come forth" and he came hfth
and lost the race But think this navy
would not come fourth in the race.
Defence Must BE Spurred.
what We are proposing now IS not
sudden creation of navy, for we
have a splendid navy. but the definite
working out Of programme by when
within five years we will bring the
navy 10 lighting strength which
otherwise might have taken eiGh. or
ten years along exactly the same ines
of development that may have been fol
lowed and followed diligently and in-
telligently for at least decade past.
There is no sudden panic, there Is 10
sudden change Of plans.
"Al that has happened Is that we
now see that we ought more rapiuly
and more thoroughly than ever before
10 do the things which have always
been characteristic Of America. For
She has always been proud Of her navy
and has been addicted 20 the principle
that her citizenship must do the hght-
ing on land. We are working out
American principles little faster be-
cause American pulses are beating
little faster. because the world IN
a whirl. because there are incalculaDle
clements OF trouble abroad which we
cannot control or alter.
Guardians Of the West.
"And we have been very liberal and
generous % this idea. We have seen
great peoples, for the most part not or
the same blood with ourselves, to the
south Of us. build up policies IN when
this same idea was pulsed ana preg-
rant this idea Of free institutions ana
individual liberty. And we have seen
hands reached across the water from
older political policies and interfere
with the DEVELOPMENT Of free institu-
tons of the Western Hemisphere. We
have said: NO; We are the champions
of the freedom Of popular sovereignty
wherever il displays or exercises itself
throughout both Americas.
AS came along the line Of the rail
way to-day | was touched TO observe
that everywhere, upon every railway
station. upon every house, where a nag
could be procured, some temporary
standard had been raised, from when
there hOatcd the Stars and stripes.
They seemed 20 have OWNED the err
rand on which / had come that we
must subordinate every individual in
terest and every local interest 20 as
sert once more, If 10 should be neces-
sary TO assert them, the great prin-
ciples for which that flag stands.
do not deceive yourself as to where
the colors of that flag came from.
Those lines of red are lines of blood,
nobly and unselhshly shed by men who
loved the liberty of their fellow men
more than they loved their own lives
and fortunes God forbid that We
should have to use the blood Of Amer
lea to froshen the color of that flag,
but if IL should ever be necessary again
to assert the majesty and integrity Of
those ancient and honorable principles
that flag will be colored once more, and
in being colored will be glorihed and
purified"