Show PRESIDENT PLEADS FOR lARGER Special Message Sent to Con Gon Congress Congress gress Advising Building of Four Battleships ARBITRATION IS NOT NOTTO NOTTO NOTTO TO BE DEPENDED UPON CHINA HELD UP AS EXAMPLE OF WHAT HAPPENS TO PEACE AT ANY PRICE NATIONS April 14 Compressed into what w would ul l benot more ip re than han a ute lute speech g e h on 91 n the h floor flor fl r of oC congress President Roosevelt today urged that body In a special message to provide for forthe forthe the construction of four f ur battleships of ot the largest and most approved type at once The Tue arguments of ot the to Im Impress Impress impress press his insistence on oa naval pro program program program gram were few f w hut calculated to be ef ei effective China Chink was up as an exam example example pIe of the peace at li tany ny price doctrine and Great Britain as having the naval policy to be bt emulated The result of the last The Hague con eon conference conference ference made it plain that the nations would not for some time if It ever agree on a plan of oC limitation of or naval anna arma armament ment mont Arbitration the president holds cannot bt b relied unon as an effective remedy though It should sho be utilized utilised to its fullest extent r Disclaiming any an intention Int on the part of or the United States ever t te engage in a war of oC conquest the president made it plain that this country could ill III afford to relapse into a n place pl ce where insult would woula have to be borne in silence The text of dIe lle message follows The Message To Ti T the Senate and House of Represent Representatives Representatives aties Let m again urge upon congress the th i need of providing for four battleships ot the best bes and most advanced type at this I session Prior to the recent Hague con conference conference I ference terence It had been my hope that I Ian Ian an agreement could be reached between the different nations to limit the increase i of oC naval armaments and especially to I limit the size of warships Under these I circumstances I felt that the construction of one battleship a year jear ear would keep our I navy nav up to its then positive and relative strength But Bul actual experience showed not merely merel that It was impossible to ob ou obtain I Itam tain tam such an agreement for the limitation of or armaments among the various lead leadIng len leading Ing powers but that there was no like likelihood likelihood whatever of obtaining it In the future within any reasonable time Co Coincidentally incidentally with this discovery discover occurred a radical radic l change in the building of bat battleships battleships among the great reat military na nations a 1 change tl nt In which fl J it was ws apparent modern modem battleships been bI n or t be bl being bling belog ing log constructed of a size and armament which doubles or more probably trebles their effectiveness ss Every other great naval nation his built or Is building a number of ships of this Kind We Ve have provided for Cor but two and therefore the balance of power lower is now inclining against us Under these conditions to provide Ide for tor hut but one or two battleships a year is to provide that this tula nation instead of oC ad advancing shall go backwards in naval rank and amI relative power among the groat gr at nations Such a course would be unwise for tor us if IC we fronted merely on one ocean and It Is Js doubly unwise for tor us if we front fronton tronton on two oceans As duet chief executive of the th nation and as commander In chief of the navy the responsibility Is imposed upon me the solemn responsibility of advising the congress of the measures vitally necessary necessary necessary essary to o secure the peace l and welfare of oC the republic In 10 he the event of international complications which are arc even een remotely l possible A Measure of Peace Having in view this solemn responsibility responsibility I earnestly advise that the con congress congress congress gress now provide four battleships of tile UI most advanced type I cannot too em emphatically say that this is a measure of oC peace pea e and not o of war I can conceive of no circumstances under which this re republic republic republic public would enter Into an aggressive war most certainly under no circum circumstances circumstances stances would It enter into an aggressive aggressive sive sire war to extend its It territory or in any an another other manner seek material aggrandize aggrandizement ment I advocate that the United States build a navy nav commensurate with Its pow powers powers powers ers and Its needs because I 1 feel that such suro sucha a n navy Will wll b ba the surest guaranty and anA safeguard of o peace place We V y are not a mili military tary nation Our army arms arm is so small as to present an in almost absurd contrast to Out our Outsize size It Is properly treated as little mor moi S than a nucleus for tor organization In hi cast c cof ct of serious war Yet et we are a rich nation nau t tand and undefended wealth sion slon The very liberty lIbert of ot Individual speech and action which we prize arid and guard renders it possible that at times unexpected causes of ot friction with for foreign foreign eign powers may mil suddenly develop Failure of Arbitration At this moment we ne are ar negotiating i 1 arbitration treaties with all nl the other powers that are willing to t enter into them These arbitration treaties have a special usefulness because in lii the event Continued on Page 8 S PRESIDENT PLEADS FOR LA GERNA NAVY VY Continued From Page 1 I of some sudden disagreement they ron ren der it I morally mor upon both na tons to seek to reach an agreement through arbitration and at St least secure a during which the cool C the nations Involved nay ay t the upper hand over any an momentary burst of anger These arbitration trea ties tes are not only for the th hope of oC ending wrongdoing by others against us but also Ils as a proof that we e have hav nu intention of doing wrong ourselves Yet it I Is s idle to 1 assume and from the standpoint of na tonal Interest and honor it ii is mischievous ous folly foly for f r any statesman to assume that this world has yet reached the stage or has ha come conic within measurable distance of the stage when a proud nation naton Jeal Jealous jealous jealous ous of its Is honor and conscious of Its It great geat mission In the world can be con content content content tent to rely for peace upon the forbear forbearance forbearance forbearance ance of other powers It I would be equal ly I foolish to rely upon them possessing at all al times and under und r all al circumstances and provocations an altruistic regard for the rights of ot others other China an Example Those who hold this view are arc blind indeed to all al that has gone on before their eyes in the world word at large They The are blind tow hat has ha happened in China In Turkey in the Spanish possessions posses lons in Central and South Africa during the lest last lest dozen years ears For centuries China has cul cultivated cultivated the very which our own peace at any price men wish this coun countr tr tt to adopt For centuries China Has baa h refused to provide military forces and anu has treated the career of the soldier as a Inferior in honor and regard to the career of the merchant or of the man of let tens teI There never has been so large an empire which for so long a time ime has s reno reso proceeded on the theory theor of or doing away with wih what Is called caled militarism Whether the result has ha been blen happy In internal affairs I need ned not discuss alt all the advanced advance reformers and pa va patriots trios 1 In jn the Chinese empire ate are ate at pres present present present ent seeking I may ma add Our hearty good will wU for a radical and reform In internal affairs In external af fairs fair the policy has resulted in various other nations now holding large portions of Chinese Chinee territory while there is a I very ver acute fear In China lest the empire be because be because cause of its Is defenselessness be 0 exposed to absolute its Is well wel wishers wisher are able to help it t only in a a asmal small smal measure because no no nation can help at self once unless that other can an help It Itself i Itself Appeals for f r Help The sUite state department is continually to to Interfere on behalf of pee peo peoples pea pies ples and ad nationalities who insist that they are suffering from oppression now Jews In one country now Christians In another now black men said to be The oppressed by white men In Africa Armenians Koreans Finns Poles representatives re of or all alap ap peal a times to this government All of Al this oppression is alleged to exist In time of peace pece and frequently although by no means always it I is alleged to occur at atthe atthe the hands of or people who are not very formidable In a a military sense sense In some veo cases the accusations of at oppression oPP slon and wrongdoing are doubtless l founded In others they are well wel founded and Incer thin tain cases case the most appalling loss JOS of lif is shown to have occurred accompanied with frightful cruelty It I is s not our ince to decide which side has ha been ben right and which has been wrong In all al or tr tr In any controversies I am inow now referring to the loss of oC life le It I is pro ably a conservative statement to say fay Jr th tho t within the last lat twelve years ears at periods f profound peace and not as a a result resul I f TOOT nor war massacres and h r n fl u n In which more lives byes lve or Of men women and children have lj 9 ve been lost than in any single great war since the close of oC the Napoleonic struggles To any public man who knows the complaints continually made to the state department there ther Is an element of oC grim tragedy In the claim that the time has ha gm gone by when weak nations can can be b pressed by those who hoare are stronger without arousing effective protest from other strong interests Even ven this still fresh In the mind of every ever thinking man shows that neither arbitration nor or any other device can as a yet be Invoked to t prevent the gravest and most terrible wrongdoing to peoples who are either few in numbers or who if I numerous have lost the first and most Important of na fin national lease tona virtues the capacity for Only One Hope for fop Peace When a nation is so happily situated d das as ours that Is when it I has no reason to fear or to be b feared by b its neigh bors the fleet fe t is all al the more is necessary for the preservation of peace Great Brit Britain ala ain has been saved save by its Is fleet Cleet from frO the necessity of facing one of the two alter alternatives aler natives of submission to conquest by a foreign power or of or itself becoming a great military mitar power The United States State can cn hope for a permanent permanent of oC peace on only one condition nd that is on condition of or building and and maintaining a navy nay and the step to be taken towards this end at this time is to pro provide provide vide for the building of lour tour our additional battleships I earnestly earnesty wish Ish that the congress would pass the measures for which I have bave asked aked for strengthening and rendering more efficient the army well as the navy all al of these thes measures 1 as wel af every branch and id detail of both services s are sorely and a d it t would be the part of or farsighted wisdom to en enact enact enact act them all into laws but the most Vital and Immediate need nee Js is that of rf the via four battleships i iTo To carry out J is but to act in the spirit of George Geprge Washington Is but ut to continue the which he out lined when when he said Observe good faith and justice toward towar all al nations Cultivate peace and harmony harol with wih all al Necessity of Complete Defense Nothing Is ISmore mor more essential than that permanent Inv against particular nations and passionate attach attachments attachments attachments ments for others oth should be excluded and that In ln place of them just jiust and amicable feelings toward all aU should be cultivated I can cai ca recommend to your sour notice measures for the fulfillment of ot our duties dutes to t the rest of the world without wl hout again agan pressing t upon you the necessity of placing our ourselves ourselves ourselves selves in a condition of complete defense and Ind of or exacting from them hem the fulfillment of their duties dutes toward tow rd us The United States ought not to indulge a persuasion that contrary to the order of human events time keep at at a distance those painful appeals appals to arms with wih which the history of every other nation naton abounds There is rank due to the United States among a nations which will wl be withheld If not absolutely absolutelY lost by 1 the reputation of or weakness If I we de desire desire sire to avoid Insult we must be able to repel It Jt if U we desire to secure se cure peace one of oC the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity it must must be known know that we are at alt all times ready for war Signed THEODORE ROOSEVELT I The UThe White House April Arll 14 1908 19 I |