The Neshoba Democrat., 1922-11-30
WHY We HAVE A NAVY
BY g. ). Brandt

Ask one of our public men why we
have n Navy and ne will say, 'to
support our policies and our COM
merce, and to guard our continental
and overseas possessions and inter-
ests."
To the practical thinking person
this reason seems vague and insutfi-
cient. We wait to know what these
policies are, what this commerce
amounts to, what Is generalized in
! the term Interests" and where the
Navy comes in on all this.
After the Revolutionary War we
wrecked the Navy" and disposed of
every ship. We even gave one ship
to France, and In IL few years she
was using it against us. Very soon
arose our difficulties with the pirates
OF the Barbary Coast who seized the
wheat we were shipping to Mediter-
ranean markets. TO protect our
trade we were forced to build fight
ling ships and organize a Navy. So
when the farmer in the great West
\ asks W hy we should be taxed for a
Navy, tell him that it began in 1894
livered to foreign markets.
After the defeat Of the pirates our
trade prosppred. Then followed the
opening Of foreign ports in all parts
OF the world. In 1911 Smyrna was
the only Turkish port open to us.
! Our Navy negotiated with the Turks
for several years and succeeded in
opening the ports OF Turkey to our
trade, The Navy also opened the
ports Of China to A merican commerce
in 1912. Commodore Perry made his
famous visit to Japan in 1854 All of
these things were accomplished In
peace, but these peaceable missions
lwonld everyone, have failed In theiri
objects and our advances would have
been treated with contempt, had
they not been backed up by an effect
i've Navy fit to fight and ready at
! luOlnenU nOUlCe.
The Navy Department has divided
the whole world into areas and has
assigned an Admiral with SQUAD
ron OF ships to protect American
lives, property and interests In each
AREA, Should local disorders any
where threaten American interests,
ships are hastened to the spot. If
the commander finds it necessary, he
lands men to protect our interests.
The Navy maintains patrol force
OF gunboats on the Yangtze River,
and this Yangtze Patrol guards our
interes ts for some LOO miles up the
river, into the very heart of China.
1t costs the Navy $4,000, 600 a year IN
the A iatic. Our interests there con-
sist OF exports and imports, Ameri-
can lives and property, the American
Missionary establishment and the
humanitarian work carried out by
the Red Cross, the Rockefeller Fouu-
dation, the Harvard Medical School,
etc. Our exports to China In 1920
were valued at over $145. .000, 900.
| The Navy maintains force OF de-
stroyers guarding interests in the
Eastern Mediterranean and In the
Black Sea. One OF our Admirals is
at present the American High Com
missioner In Copstantfhopole, and
performs many important diplomatic
tasks in addition to his naval ties.
| The Turks and the Greeks are at
war and the general situation is such
that our interests require protection,
| Over 80 per cent OF the tobacco ex-
ported from Samsun is shipped to
the United States. The value OF this
tobacco amounts to SIS, 100000 an
nually.
Americans have large oil interests
in Roumania which we would be
forced to abandon but for the pro-
lection afforded by our Navy. Dur
ing the existence oJ the present de-
moralized condition OF communica.
/, aiOh5 III OhC ANOdit I|'tSb our upHJTON-
ers have been sending commercial
radio messages and have been giving
passage to our business men from
place(to place. Consequently. Amer.
lean trade has grown rapidly. 1t
costs the Navy, annually, some ST.
0O0,00G to maintain our forces in Eu-
ropean waters, but this amount is
returned hundred fold In the form
Of commercial prosperity.
Navalforces are maintained In the
Caribbean Sea for the purpose of
keeping down revolutions, protect
Ing life and guarding our commercial
tactivities. Our trade could not exist
throughout the West Indies but for
the protection given by our squad.