OCR Text |
Show A I Country Honors Navy j IN EVERY section of the United States the navy is claiming special auenilo'n toJ.i,. T tt t utejv-ancc utejv-ancc of Navy day, suggested by the Navy league and indorsed by the navy department, is intended to convey to the general public a deeper appreciation appre-ciation of the part the navy plays in American affairs. Wherever maritime activities are to be found special programs are in orJer to commemorate commemo-rate the past services of the navy. Even in the haunts of the landlubber the day is not without special Significance. The schools take cognizance of the day, impressing upon the younger generation the importance of thi branch of American arms. In the great war the navy rendered vital service to the nation. It is not to be said that the navy won the war, but the war might have been lost without it. j It is generally agreed that the entrance of America turned the tide of the conflict. To the navy fell the great task of safeguarding the transportation trans-portation of the American forces to the battlefields battle-fields of Europe. The convoy, the antisubmarine patrol and the mine barrage were essential factors in winning the war. The work of the navy in the great. war was but a repetition of its work In every crisis in American history. In the Revolution, the war of 1812, the Civil war and the Spanish-American war, victory was aided by the service of the navy. In arranging the celebration of Navy day, its sponsors had a purpose. By showing its importance in the past, they hope to prove its need, for the future. The .. men behind the celebration of Navy day are advo-cates advo-cates of peace. They believe in the reduction tf armaments by agreement, but reject as silly tnd dangerous disarmament by example. If this fact is brought home to the American people, the day will have served a useful purpose. |