The Washington times., 1921-10-30

(Thts Is the fourth Of series
Of articles BY Rear Admiral Brad
lev ALLEN Fiske, u. S. ~, on ar
maments. He piH shoD, as only an
expert in naral parfare and a
cool. scientific historian can, the
tuestipable importance Of the In
ternatioaal Conference on Ltmitd-
ton of Armantents IN Washington
neat month. Admiral Fiske Is one
Of the porlFs foremost naval ee-
perts. and he tcrites from an Amer
scan point of Vteao).
-HE United States now seems to
to stand at the head OF all the
nations of the earth. How has
she reached that position?
In the minds Of many people, she
reached 1t by developing the agri-
cultural, mineral, commercial and
industrial possibilities Of the country;
by inventing new mechanisms and
methods; and by enacting and execu-
ting wise laws that created and main
tained domestic order and a high
financial standing.
These people are doubtless right,
but they have overlooked the fact
that the United States has always
maintained an armament able to
guard the wealth that those peace
full measurers gained her.
Let us look at the matter histori-
cAlly.
AZ early rs 1765. the American
Colonists had made themselves ex-
ceedingly prosperous by their energy
and skill In developing all the nat
ural resources Of the country and by
building up q profitable commerce
on land and sea- England attempted
to raise money by taxing them, and
finally imposed q tax on tea In
l77s, certain tea ships" arrived in
the colonies.
This caused tho throwing over
board In Boston harbor Of all the
tea that came there. Then followed
tho battles Of Lexington and Con-
cord in 1775. the Declaration OF In
dependence In 1776. our War OF In
dependence, our victory in the war
through the military genius OF
George Washington. and finally the
granting Of our Independence in
1888.
ARMAMENTS OF '76.
The war WAS fought with arma-
ment, and could not have been
fought successfully without 1t. The
United States owes its start to its
successful use of armament.
After the war the new nation de-
voted it's energies to internal mat
ters: that is, to developing the re-
sources of tho country and forming
an efficient government. So much
concentration did the people devote
IN internal matters that they ne
elected external matters. and soon
found themselves unable even to pro-
tect their merchant ships from pi-
rates in the Mediterranean. Realiz-
ing this, they constructed few men
Of war and finally subdued the "pi-
rates Of the Barbary Coast" IN 1904.
Relapsing again too unguarded-
" into\ the enticing rest OF peace,
they suddenly found themselves in
1912 confronted with a war that
they were wholly unprepared to
fight.
The story of Americas perform
ances in the war of 1912 is story
of first, unpreparedness; then
tremendous effort to remedy II;
and then an unavoidable military
Incompetence. Virtually the only
stories of it that Americans can
read with pride are the stories OF
the naval battles.
But what could our little navy
40 In tho end against Great Brit
sin'sf Nothing Of material value;
70 our coast was soon blockaded.
Then q British fleet sailed up
chesapeake bay and disembarked
troops, who went up the Patuxent
river and landed near Washington.
Then those troops set fire to the
Presidents House and all the pub
lie buildings except the Patent Of
flee. The treaty of peace left the
disputed questions still unsettled!
NAVAL PRESTIGE FELT.
In 1915. Commodore Decatur. by
means Of tho armament Of his
ships. compelled the rulers OF AL
p,ers. TripoD and Hunis to make
indemnity for certain renewed dep
relations and agree to abstain from
similar acts In future.
From then till 1s45 the young re-
public continued to grow in pros
~t,,, by mems of the arts OF