South Bend News-Times, Volume 32, Number 148, South Bend, St. Joseph County, 28 May 1915 — Page 9

THE SOUTH BEND NEWS-TIMES

ntrp.w, MAY 21, mt.V

"Oily a Powerful Navy Cam. Safeguard Us Agaimsfr Imvasbm"

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By Hudson Maxim In His New Dook, 'Defenseless America," Which Has Just Been International Library Company.

Published by Hearst's

WHEN a ration. irs the United States, has become a World Tower, with oitlylns possesions In distant seas and within the spheres of influence of other powerful nations, it assumes obllsaticns Just In proportion to Utio hazards Involved !n the maintenancu of title. Also, when a nation, like tho United Stales, has ft world-coin pas sin z coenr.ercc, its oMigfetlcm are Just as large as its commerce, and Its need ot & navy adequate to iefend lis commerce. 1. for tb-at puro Alone. iactly as graat as its need of the commerce But, In addl'Jon to tfcU great ned, cnra Ls tho ct.ill greater ne. of a x&vy srf suca magnitude tnd potcntUiUjr as o1eclu!l' to wfeimard the country a-taJnst Invasion. Although we should have in amy of rufiicient s'.r5 and pasoirvi cf so efficient ciulpment a-a ultimately to repel tnraslon, still the cost in life and treasure tor repulsion and expulsion would excoeu nmsy times the cost of the warships and naval eqal.nnt necessary to prevent invasion. A fighting ship is built, equipped with armament, manned and coaled for one sole purpose that of adequacy In a fight. Us success or failure in short, its usefulness or uaelessness depends entirely upon its lighting adequacy Igainst a possible opponent. An ocoan liner Is built, manned and coaled to fight tempestuous teas, and safely make the voyage; bat unlcs3 the ship is built sufficiently- staunch, has sufficiently powerful engines, is well manned, and has coal enough for the trip, it is in no sense a tuccess, or useful; on the contrary, it is an utter failure and worse than useless. The samo thins holds true of a navy: Unless it can defeat the fleet of an enemy, and return from the voyage, it is a failure, and worse than useless. A naval disaster in our present condition would be likely to be an irreparable calamity, while a naval victory might likely win the war. It is for this big difference that we need a navy. Consequently, the entire use of a navy luay be summed up in the ono word, supe

riority over a possible enemy. When two men run for a municipal office all the votes cast for the loser are of no value to the loser, and all campaign funds spent in getting them have been wasted; the only votes that are of value to the winner are those that constitute hi3 majority. Similarly, in a naval rattle, It is the majority of votes cast by tho winning puns that secures the victory, for all of Jie other votes cast by the guns are balanced by an equal number of votes cast by the guns of the enemy. Tho total value of a navy may be summed up In tho value of one battleship, which give3 a conquering preponderance in gun-fire. Admiral Knight recently eaid: The War College considers that every effort of the fleet, and every effort of the Department In connection with the fleet, should havo for its sole aim the war efficiency of the fleet. Kvcry effort which does not directly contribute to this end is In itself a wasteful expenditure or energy, and so far as It is a diversion from tins end, is distinctly harmful." Among all those who have occupied positions of trust and power, and whose business it has been to recognize and provide for jur naval and military needs, it is remarkable how few havo had the necessary breadth of view to grasp the strategic situation, and perceive Its requirements without making silly and costly mistakes, like that of the construction of our first three battleships, the Oregon, the Massachusetts and the Indiana, merely for coastdefense purposes.. None of these ships waj qualified for service In distant waters. Then, when the war with Spain came, we held our breath while the Oregon rounded the Horn. Think of the United States of America being in such straits for fighting ships as actually to hang national hopo on the old Oregon. A singlo shell from one of the huge guns of an up-to-dato Dritish super-deadnought has a striking forco equal to the energy required to lift the old battleship Oregon bodily to a height of more than six feet.

There is no rciddle course for the United States. Wc must play the game as a World Tower, and a3 other nations are playing the game. To get fair play we mus provide ourselves with the weapons with which they are providing themselves. If we do not, we shall bo brushed aside with a ruthless hand, and shall find our commerce circumscribed on every side by inimical spheres of influence-dead lines over which we shall not dare to pass. It Is necessary for us not only to fortify tha Panama Canal, but also to maintain a navy of sufficient prowess to enable us to reach that Canal at all times, and under all conditions, for it is indispensable that we maintain com munication with our defenses there. Should we become Involved in war with England or Germany, the navy of either being more powerful than ours, we should be immediately isolated from the Panama Canal zone. Similarly, Japan could successfully blockade the Pacific approaches to the Canal. Wo have, at enormous expense, cut a great waterway through the Isthmus, and established a short route between the Atlantic and tha Paciflc. The Canal is our property. Other nations of the world may use it. We generously built It for the world's welfare. It will, however, be valuable in time of war for the passage of our warships; In fact, it will be a vital necessity to us. But our ability to use it for that purpose will be entirely dependent upon the ability of our Navy to keep the sea clear of an enemy's ships at either end. The war with Spain was very useful, because it brought the truth home to us that the command of the American seas is absolutely vital to us. Immediately following the Spanish War, we rapidly built up our Navy, until it became second only to that of England. But we have, of late years, been slipping back, until now our Navy occupies third place, with a likelihood of soon dropping down to fifth place. In 1905, England evolved the great modern dreadnought, which -was as much of a revolution over existing types of fighting ships as was Ericsson's Monitor over the fighting ships

AS A J SJ y V NEvJZZALAND j J . , , ll l l l

Strategic Spheres of Vital Importance in the Pacitic Which Make It Imperative for the United States to Have.

of its time. The dreadnought relegated all existing battleships to the second line. The dreadnought was so much superior in size, in speed, in gun-fire, and in all defensive and offensive qualities, that it took its place at once as the indispensable first-lino battleship. England, Germany. France, Japan, each recognizing the tremendous superiority of the dreadnought, enlarged their naval appropriations and built dreadnoughts. The American Congress, however, failed to recognize the serious character of tho crisis. It failed to appreciate the fact that the dreadnought mean; ?. revolution in battleship construction. Instead of naval appropriations being increased according to our needs, they were decreased. As a result, there are now two nations at least that could whip us off the seas, while the navies both of France and Japan are likely very soon to rank above us. All our illusions about our splendid isolation would vanish with the destruction of our fleet A European . Power could. In less than two

weeks, land upon our shores an army of rrom 100,000 to 200,000 men. Here, the question naturally arises: How would they be able to get past our coast fortifications? We havo spent about $160,000,000 on our coast fortifications, but they were never Intended for the protection of our entire coast line. They were intended only to defend our important cities and harbors and naval bases. They actually protect hut a very small fraction of our many thousand miles of shore. As the Scientific American has justly stated, our coast fortifications should not be so named; instead, they should be designated as etty-and-harbor fortifications. it would be quite impracticable adequately to defend our long stretch of seaboard by means of coast fortifications. The only ccast fortifications that can effectually serve us are battleships. It is absolutely indispensable to our integrity as a nation that we have a fleet sufficiently powerful to defend our whole coast against invasion.

til SEEKS TO

ETAKE MOMCLOVA

Driven From City, His Army Returns and Battle is Now Raging Train From Monterey Arrives.

1,KK!)". Texas. .May 2S. A nicer: am received in Neuv Itiedo Thursday niuht announced that a t- rritie battle is rauini; at .Monclova between Ca r r. na ist as and Villistas. n May L' l the Carranzistas appeared before Mopeiova and after a battlo tl fcated the Villistas, who retreated, the i "arranzistas occupying the town. Wednesday the Villistas returned in strong force and Lteg.iti an attack. The battle has been in progress since Wednesday at noon, with the odds favoring the S'illi.ias recapturing the place. The lirst train iinni Monterey to Nemo 1 .a redo in ecn months arrived Thursday morning. brin.in.t; about 2V0 p;u.s.eu"-u i s, including man Americans. Tlu Haiti arrived in NVuvo Laredo at l::.o o'clock in the morning. The p.isscnmts wire compelled to vaeate th" coaches anil men. women and children, Mexican and American, were told to remain on the plaza until morning as they could not cross to the Am i icm side Kforo daylight. Consul iJirrett Thursday tiled a protest with Washington against this treatment of -Americans.

Letters of the People

TTi Nws-T1mefl orers tMs column to it re.iderd fur expressions of tbU" Tts. It acTf-pM no responsibility, bow-m-r, for tlie opinion hero put forth. Correspondents must shw pood faith, however, by sU'dus: their communications wlta their correct name. This will not be published If the cer res pond t1" o desires and Indicate, but the name MV.ST accompany tae com munication or it cannot be considered.

A PATRIOTIC SPfiliESTIOX. tfouth JJend. May -S, li'K. Kditor of New-Timcs: Why not show our patriotism for this reat free blessed country of ours by displaying the OKI Ulory on every national holiday? I know In the old country every store keeper is compelled by law to display tho national emblem and it really makes ono feel proud of the country in which he lives. It helps one to remember the past history of the country. I ha e been one w ithin four or rive blocks with the exception of one old soldi r in a neighborhood f all rcod citizens who displayed r'.a-s on my residence on the lat Fourth of July. It think It is a duty of overy pood citizen ami a duty which every one of u can afford. If we cannot a 'lord to hay a l'.atr for SI. ."o we can KCt one for hve or lu cents. Yond r if it would not be a good idea for the father of the city to remind the people through the newspapers on eery such occasion. Why not start this In South IVnd with a Kf'd many other pood things? H. MARKS.

IJlWr.s FOIL CAPITAL. Henry Swaim. St. Joseph county

v.euuur expert. leaves for lndianapo ; - . . . 1. : . - .

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of the

Indiana f-ower show, which will be Held In .N'ovviiil-er. probably at lndi-Ar.apollt.

PifilW

-All

The Best Suits for Men & Youn

r Men to be had anywhere

$12.50 and $15.00

Soit and O'Coat

values

$17.50 and $20.00

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SATISFACTION GUARANTEED

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213 So. Michigan Street Auditorium Blocli

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11 UMOKKU W

The last Saturday before Memorial Day, we have prepared a rare bargain event in

Shoes

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An Opportunity the Like of Which May Never Happen Again.

AN ENORMOUS LOT MEN'S SHOES AND OXFORDS For dress and business wear, in tans and gun metals; the oxfords come in patents, also; all sizes, Saturday

HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF MEN'S SHOES AND OXFORDS

For dress and business wear; in many styles and leathers, Saturday pair

iX mT

$1.95

$.1 .4

SPECIAL FOR SATURDAYWOMEN'S LEATHER HOUSE SLIPPERS, All sizes, pair 349 PAIRS WOMEN'S AND MISSES' SHOES, OXFORDS AND PUMPS In all leathers; all sizes; all fresh, clean; regular stock taken from our shelves for Saturday sale; regular $2.50 and $3.00 values; Saturday pair MORE THAN A HUNDRED PAIRS WOMEN'S SHOES, OXFORDS AND PUMPS In all leathers; all sizes; Saturday, pair . MISSES' OXFORDS AND PUMPS In tans, patent and gun metal; all sizes A world beater, pair MISSES' AND CHILDREN'S WHITE BABY DOLL PUMPS All sizes; Special Saturday, pair , . . , INFANTS' SOFT SOLE SHOES AND ANKLE STRAP PUMPS The regular 50c kind Saturday pair CHILDREN'S BAREFOOT SANDALS All solid tan leather; pair BOYS' TENNIS OXFORDS All sizes; Saturday, pair

$ 1 .45

75c

49c

45c

Hans

.hoe Company

125 NORTH MICHIGAN STREET FOUR DOORS NORTH OF THE ELLSWORTH STORE

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