The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-01-29
SEA POWER is MOST
IMPORTANT TO u. S
Former Secretary of the Navy George
Won L. Meyer Declares Also That
Monroe Doctrine Is as Strong
as the American Fleet.

as the American Fleet.
| Washington, D. c., JAN 26.-There is
no nation in which sea power will in the
future play greater and more de-
cisive part as to its destiny than that
OF the United States, and the Monroe
doctrine is as strong as the American
] fleet and no stronger, George Won l..
| Meyer, former secretary of the navy,
said in an address last night before the
Congress of Constructive Patriotism here.
/ Mr.. Meyer said there was no doubt but
that the United States was deficient in
sea power, and he pointed to history, in
Guiding that correlated with American sea
power in the four principal wars the
United States has fought, and to naval
lessons learned in the European war, to
support his plea for great navy in the
future. Continuing, he said;
''But how are we to get this great navy
with its efficiency and preparedness?
The common idea is that navy consists
in having a number OF ships. The first
essential of navy is a mind which
makes necessary estimate of the situa-
ton, makes plans to meet it and carries
them out-which trains the men and de-
signs the ships. l stated last winter in
Washington at the Security league meet
ing that the trouble with our navy was
that it had no mind.
MIR. Daniels took it as personal re-
Election as to his brain matter Navy
men knew that | referred to lack OF or
ganization. which in the armies and ma
vies of Europe. are known as a staff, and
| knew that Mr.. Daniels had disrupted |
an organiza ton which correspondent to |
a staff, and which | had instituted in !
1912 as the outcome of the study of Adj |
miral Mahan and group of officers |
And three years elapsed before any sub
stitute was put in force.
"With proper mind, or organization,
efficiency can be brought about by
study OF war conditions, by planning, by
training, by discipline, by energy, by con
slant target practice, by fleet maneuyers
and annual mobilization OF the entire
navy-both in the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans.
Preparation for war has always been
known TO be essential IL should be bet
ter known now than ever before. Lack
Of preparation has never been due to
lack OF knowledge but always to neglect.
A distinguished critic has said that the !
factors that decide which nation shall be
The victor and which the vanquished. are
determined before the war begins. they
IRE simply functions OF preparedness. If
,ur policies are sufficiently important to y
our well being, we must be ready to
them by force. That is, we
hould have sufficient force to match the Y
ize and Importance Of our policies" n
While the United States Is "patheti- 4,
ally weak as to preparedness for war" =
ir. Never said, it is exceptionally well :
fl in the raw material required for mill. /,
airy strength. As peaceful nation it !,
) not far-sighted.
admiral AIahan tells us" he eontin- :,
ed, "that far-sightedness is needed for
dequate military and naval prepared 7
ess, especially in these DAYS. Further !.
1ore. he told us that when the canal u
through the Isthmus Of Panama was =,
ompleted the Caribbean will be changed :,
rom place of local traffic to one of the =
reat highways of the world, bringing
he interests of other great nations along y =
ur shores. as they have never been be- :,
ore. With the responsibility of main a. !,
aiming and protecting this great route "
( commerce. we can no longer stand =
loot, or possibly keep clear of interna- u
onal complications.
"Our position with reference to the
anama canal will resemble that of Eng
md to the channel. and that of the br
[editerranean countries TO the Suez ca "N
al Have we prepared ourselves for OF
lis responsibility, or is the secretary of If
lie navy Studying the international sit al
alton which may call for the need of n
avy in the Caribbean, or of the length
time that will have TO elapse before
ir navy viii be ready to fulfill its OBJ m
cations? Have any steps been taken he
wards solving the problem by making er
l estimate of the situation, as is now in
iopted in the army and navy stats of So
! the great countries?" to
Concluding. Mr.. Never said: "In the
lst. with the vast amount of immigra- -
on into this country. the safeguard OF n
IT republic has been compulsory educa U
on. With conditions in the world exist
Q as they do, the welfare OF our people
ID the preservation of our institutions.
ponds in the future upon compulsory
aiming, both military and naval. Let
II people understand throughout the &c
nd that there are duties of citizenship he
at We have been neglecting. Let Us co
still into our hearts the spirit of the M
mute Men Of Concord and Lexington. m;
/ rs not sacrifice the valor OF youth mi
rough the valor of ignorance. but let Us
train every citizen before ne comes of an
2. as Switzerland has done. in the art ter
defense and in the science Of organ
ltion and efficiency. Then we will have cr'
fear as TO the American prestige. its &c
w OF its army. its patriotism, its an
fety, OF its honor" spi
Ort