The Cordova daily times., 1921-03-01
TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 1921
MERCHANT MARINE DEMANDS

A big American merchant marine demands and makes necessary a great American navy. One is sup. elementary to the other.
 This principle is now we'll under stood in congress, and there is a general sentiment in house and sen- ate, for both merchant marine and navy.
 The next national administration will favor this policy, for President elect Harding has announced III pub lie that he favors both. Congress will go along with the new president in carrying out this policy.
 It is laid down by navil strategists that no merchant marine, however large and prosperous, is ever safe in event of war unless protected by a great navy. As a corallary to that proposition the naval strategists Ge- clare, as first announced by the i'm mortal Admiral Mahan, whose book on sea powers influence on the his tory of the world is said to have start ed the former kaiser on the Ger man empires policy of a great navy, that any nation which has a pre- ponderance of sea power is certain to be victorious in any war in which it engages.
 This dictum has more than been bourne out by the history of the wars of the world, from Salamis to Jutland. In modern times it was the British navy that finally contributed more to the downfall of Napoleon our own time the battle in the North sea when the British fleets turned back the German armada really marked the beginning of the end of the German dream of world domin- ion Farraguts fleet did more to finally crush the confederacy than the battle of Gettysburg. It was not until Mahan analysed and pointed out the part that sea power has al. ways played in the rise and fall of nations, and the dominion of the be noticed in this country for a great American navy. The movement start ed by Mahan has had it's fruit in the present insistent demand for a great American navy, and there are few If any congressman who have read his book who are not now ardent advo- cates of an adequate navy-a navy commensurate with the greatness of the republic and the coming commer. ciai supremacy of an American: mer. chant marine on all the seas of the globe. In fact the loudest and most persistent advocates in congress of a great American navy are senators as1d representatives who have care fully studied the lessons to be learned from Mahan.
 Therefore it is safe to say that whatever steps are taken toward linn itfng the size ofthe regular army there will be found few members oi congress who will oppose a great navy. Those who do so are ignor ant of the history and principles taught by Mahan and in fact by all history, or they are of that tribe of pussy-footed pacifists who believe that the time has come for universal disarmament and that soon the lion will lie down with the lamb.
 Wffh the foreign commerce of the United States increasing by leaps and bounds, and the prospect that this country in the next ten years will produce billions upon billions oi pounds of surplus products which must be sold to other nations, the present policy, national and among private citizens, to build up a great American merchant marine, is cer tain to be carried out But this policy aims, not only at making American exports the greatest of any nation, it plans that these ex ports shall be carried to the ports of the world in American ships. The reason is plain. A tremendous Amer. jean overseas commerce if carried in