Show PACIFIC FLEET FLEETIS n IS A Western Coast Armament Neglected Neglected Neg Neg- Long Enough Says Governor IS COMMERCIAL QUESTS QUESTION Consideration Must Be Giver Given Rapidly Growing Commerce Com Corn Commerce merce of Pacific BT BY GEORGE E E. GRAHAM 1 San Diego Calif April 16 Its It j not lot whether this great fleet shall stay In u these Pacific waters but its it's a 0 fact tact that hat we must lave have a II great armada to tay on this coast or at least where the lie Pacific touches our possessions so that hat we may ma secure our share of Paci- Paci ic fic c tm trade e said Governor James N. N ill Uli- cite ette to me today In fact It is a great commercial question and not merely a n question ot if f armament It Is a new proposition nd it seems to mo me it can be solved sol best by ll lJ having In these waters a n fleet equal at least to that of or any other naion nalon nation na- na lon ion if It not superior I believe e a domi- domi dominating fleet means peace I believe hat that this title great armada sailing now long our coast const and ready to Intro 1 Intro Intro-I duce uce itself Itsel to the Far East will have igi-e igi effect In establishing our pos 1 pos pos- se slon than If wo we were wele to wait walt until other ther nations dominated tho trade of or orthe the lie IC and then attempt to enter the lie 10 lists Hits against a thi the victor I Preparation Best Defense I II I I 1 am not hot a fighting man mou I do not believe we ve are arc going to have a war ar but hut I think now as I have hl always alwn's thought that great preparedness is our best defense Speaking for fol the lie west I believe e we have been neglected long enough Here with little or no coast defense we have no stationary fleet Sleet except that which is 18 protecting our Asiatic possessions possessions pos pos- sessions and as you ou know that is InferIor in inferior In- In tenor to other nations The Panama canal will bo be finished In a few tew years ears Vast mast amounts of commerce com corn merco merce will be e diverted dl We Ve must hav ha our proportion I say that if It this lila fleet flee goes JOC back to tho the Atlantic an nn equally equall large fleet should be lie placed here per per- I say that great navy na yards ards and nd great dr dry docks must be bo Immediately immediately immedi Immedi- built here for tor the caro care of this fleet Every eo business man In the lie great West Vest knows that hat tho the commerce of or tho Pacific is soon going to equal or exceed ex ex- tho the commerce of ot tho the Atlantic Must bo ho TAt Fix Power We e must not bo be tho the third naval power pan Wo to 0 must be bc tho the first and not because also falsa o th thc mat mat- lat lat- thit- thit IH ca CO a. coast demand It I 1 believe our navy is a underpaid both as regards men an and and andI I would suggest to congress that It 11 tal take o active o measures soon to mako make the thc pay 1 a- a of the thc bravo bra fellows an Incentive c rather than a a. drawback which It Isnow is now Bow I think we wo should have o higher IIa grades cs for our officers It Is not ot ot right that the thc commander of or this battleship battleship battleship bat bat- fleet should the commanders of small sinai squadrons ol of other r nations which he ho meets on his Journey journ p i |