Evening star., 1939-10-22
Events Abroad Convince Americans of Vital Importance
OF Strengthening Defense as Navy Day Approaches
Anniversary of Theodore Rooevelts Birth Will Find
Increased Public Interest in Sea Forces, Which
EaxeSu fered Ne6lect Past

of course, even more important and
more pronounced today.
At length, President James A
Garfield caused the appointment OF
an advisory board to report on the
needs of the Navy; and his success
sor, Chester A. Arthur, in his 1881
message to Congress, asserted: Il
cannot too strongly urge upon you
my conviction that every considera-
ton of national safety, economy
and honor imperatively demands a
thorough rehabilitation Of the
Navy"
Arthur had a fight on his hands
to get something done, bat the rec
ord shows that it was during his
administration that a new Navy
was born.
And fortunate it was, for by 1895
the United States was involved in
a war with Spain, another war
largely won on the water. With the
victories of Dewey and Schley fresh
in mind, the public's interest in the
Navy surged-and as quickly ebbed
when the war was over.
AS Arthur had had a battle on his
hands to get a new Navy started
after the long hiatus following the
end of the War Between the States
so Theodore Roosevelt had no small
struggle to carry his point that the
American Navy must be built uI
and kept up. And in December
1907, a new battle fleet of is ships
was sent on its epochal voyage
around the world, returning in
February. 1909, after a journey OF
$4,000 miles to South America, Aus
tralia, the Philippines, China, Japan
the Indian Ocean, the Suez Canal
and Gibralter.
World War days brought a new
impetus to ship construction and
the Navy performed vital duties in
conveying transports and supply
vessels and in protecting our coasts
against attack by both surface and
submarine ships.
But Immediately following the
war history repeated itself. This
time. however, the Navy was re-
duced not simply by a falling of
OF public interest and support, but
by well-meaning but Inflated at
tempts to bring about an ordered
and worldwide reduction in naval
armamentS. In the main, the net
result was, as the late Will Rogers
remarked, for the United States
to scrap battleships and the other
fellows to tear up a handful of blue
prints"
At any rate, sincere efforts were
made to keep ship construction
within certain specified limits In
order to reduce the burden of costs
and, as it was declared, to minimize
the possibility of war. There re-
manned, however, ar-sighted real
lists who insisted that such steps
while well-intentioned, in the nature
Of things as they were following the
close of the war, inevitably would
fail in the long run, and that neglect
of the Navy on the part of the
United States would necessitate it,
hasty rehabilitation.
That such has been the case now
is known to every American, and
this review shows that it is q repe-
tition-and not an inexpensive one
OF past experience.
Roosevelt Efforts,
The present period Of naval ex-
pansion in the United States date.
from the entrance into the White
House Of President Franklin D
Roosevelt, who had served as As-
sistant Secretary of the Navy during
the World War, and whose knowl-
edge of the history and tradition
Of the Navy is extensive. It is fur
ther noteworthy that President
Roosevelt has been very largely
assisted in his policy Of building
up the Navy to adequate strength
by the trend Of events abroad and
the accession to power Of Adolf Hit
Ter, which dates virtually from the
Presidents own first Inauguration.
Because of the portentousness OF
these events, because the American
people increasingly have realized
the dangers inherent in the situa-
tions successfully created by the
German ChAncellors aggressive
moves, there has been growing sup
port for the upbuilding Of the Navy,
which now Is ct fuller strength
than for raanv VAara