Evening star., 1925-10-27
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL J.. COLLINS.

You may fire when ready, Gridley
was scarcely out of the mouth Of Al
miral Dewey when the guns doomed
in Manila Bay, and from the Orient
TO Santiago the Navy was never found
unready.
When our ships reached England in
our entrance into World War hostIt
tiles. the British admiral inquired anN
iously how soon they could be ready
for service, and he was astonished
that the answer came back instantly:
I'VE are ready now
Admiral Mayo testifies that the
whole Navy was so ready for fight ~
our declaration of war that he hal
hardly to give an order. The Navy
motto is worthy of the shot which
Lexington sent round the world, for I,
is equally inspiring: 1T can't be done
but here it is
When we boast OF the Nays reaG-
mess for duty il does not follow that
IT has had all the backing which i
Indispensable for utmost efficiency.
but that ii has made the most of its
opportunities and equipment. There
are good citizens who forget that q
Navy cannot "sprin" to arms over
night" but that it takes years to build
a hattleship and months to man it ef
ficiently.
There are differences Of opinion.
even among experts. as to whether
the Navy should sail the heavens
above, the earth beneath and the Wa
ters under the earth.'' or confine It's
activities TO Neptune's realm.
x + X
A naval officer stated in a recent
speech: Peace hath her victories no
less renowned than war;" THAI
solemn truth" said the speaker. zap
plies 10 no branch Of the Government
more emphatically than 1t does 10 the
Navy and the Air Force. The aviators
are today carrying the mails across
the continent In a third Of the time
they could be transported by steam
on the surface Of the earth, and they
are learning national defense at the
same time.
Modern business competition makes
an efficient Navy a condition prece
dent of a prosperous foreign CON-.
merce, and the functions of a Navy in
! time of peace are fully az important
as indispensable-as in war. With.
out the presence of naval vessels III
| foreign ports our exporters and i'm
| porters would find commercial rivalry
| of foreign nationals preventing fair
| treatment and an open door to our
enterprises. Without a merchant ma
| rine of our own carrying at least 80
| per cent of our foreign commerce we
| cannot hope to maintain our part il
| the world trade. We do not today
reach that so per cent, but we have
| hopes of doing so. The world cruise
| of the Navy under Roosevelt was the
greatest event of the present genera
ton in opening the ports Of all ma
tons to the commerce of this hitherto
| underestimated country. This pres
| tige inures to the profit of both the
manufacturers and farmers of every
State-inland as well as upon the
coasts, for by the continued power OF
| the Navy. our markets and prestige
! are upheld and our surpluses sold.
| This is not by force, but through the
ubiquitous evidence that we know our
/ rights and are ready to protect them.
| x* x
is the Navy up 10 the intended
! standard?
| The Secretary of the Navy, Mr.. vii
| bur, in a letter to the Scientific Ameri-
can, says:
THE standing of the United States
relatively to Great Britain and Japan.
| In unarmored ships, is not satisfac-
tory; the submarine situation,
1t must be admitted, is far from sat
| isfactory; in the matter of light
or scout cruisers we are relatively
weak -
tcspsrisht. 1915. By Paul Y. coluaaA