IF GERMANY WANTS FIGHT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 74, 23 April 1909, Page 4

IF GERMANY WANTS FIGHT

WHAT AJ&URAJL, SPERRY SAIS. tiREAT EAIThHs AUSTRALIA. ; UNITED STATES NEEDS MORE SHU'S. ... "My opinion is that if the United States ever-gets Into trouble west of the Hawaiian group Australia will come running along to our aid with the speed of the wind." Thus spoke Rjear-Admiral Sperry on his return to Hampton Roads with the Atlantic, battleship fleet after the memorable round-the-world trip of the warships. The Admiral brought iut a scrapbook containing accounts of the Meet's entourage from the time it left the Roads on December 16, 1007, up to the present. Turning'to the pages devoted to Australia aiid New Zealand, he added :-

"The newspapers everywhere greeted us with marked cordiality. Here you see what of Australasia has to say.' Never in my life did 1 ooserve so much enthusiasm for a foreign flag." The Admiral said it had been an ini struetive voyage. He went on :—" I will not say—no one'knows, no one positively can say—but if someone tells you that the trip averted a 'scrap,' don't you call him a liar. I would not now wish to have the fleet divided. I know nothing of what is going on in Washington. Surely there can be no trouble pending, but at the same time we should keep the ships intact. Let Congress bund another fleet as strong as this one. Let the,, Pacific have one as big as the Atlantic I see no reason why naval schools, naval shipyards, dry docks, etc., should not be maintained along the Pacific Coast, all the way from Portland to Saii Diego. This country must protect the other Republics lying south of us. We can stand, fbiao invasion.

''This) idea of dividing of fleet, send- '.',-■ mg half of it baek to the Pacific, is h s"/ bad one," he continued. " Have another ', fleet for, the Pacific, if you like, but V don't divide'this one. Suppose Germany /.-.- should'get angry, and want to fight? " v Ido not say that Germany ever will £ desire trouble with this or any other =>.\ country. Surely 9he is now our friend ? ]l- I ani simply using Germany as an illusy tration. With our fleet cut in twain, as v now proposed, Germany could come over -' and smash the everlasting daylights out of us, couldn't she !" ' And, answering his own question, he, said, "Why, to be sure. This nation will I 1)3 a secure and peaceful nation when we '. have a large navy, when wc excel Great v , Britain in numbers, guns, sailors, and .'■ " ships. Until that time comes we will be *,--- in constant danger. We should have a !' Pacific fleet, powerful enough to defy *.' . every nation. , ;V . "Japan couldn .do us any harm, even if she desired to do so. She has not my fighting force. She isn't building any new battleships. On' the Pacific, away from her own shores, floating aliout idly, . and trusting to luck, she has some five * or six old, played-out fighters, but they are not headed thisway, and never will come this way. She is patching up her old ships." The Admiral took the newspaper man to his quarters. The only picture that adorned' the walls of the luxuriously- '.■ appointed rooms was a photograph ot . Admiral Togo, presented when the fleet " was in Japanese waters, ami on it was inscribed : . • "To Admiral Charles Kpcrry, with the compliments and best wishes of his ; friend, Count Togo." "The safest way to permanent peace, :•' proceeded the admiral, "is to be in |H>ssession of a big, commanding navy, not a threatening one, not one to steam j about with a chip on her shoulder ; hut one. that could go out and make the others run like seared wolves, if then." was occasion. "I have had my day," he said, after ; a while, somewhat sadly. " [ soon will !_.-■ Teach my sixty-seeoad birthday. In ?'■■ September T shall go, with Evans and :-" Schley and others, on the retired li*t »• You know I have been in the service of ■ the navy forty-eight years, since I was fourteen years of age. I iiave in that period seen our navy rise from insignificance to grandeur. God knows we '■■ have- the spirit. Wc have always had ' it. By constantly pounding away at Congress we have at last got the nucleus ~: of a navy. It isn't half big enough ; i but with these men who have brought it C around the world with me, I think 1 ;' v could take it, a* any other admiral could ',--' do, and make an offensive Power feel that the United States was a Govcrn- */. ment that had some powder, more shot, C more mej> to fire them, than was ever \ : , created since the dawn of time. L.": "' But now how much more secure we £'' would feel if we had the Pacific and flic i?s| '* Atlantic and all American coasts strongi£'--. 'y protected. I mean by that coast iWfjs./' fence and warships near by to keep the ■*;'■ eiiemy away. Only in recent years have w? had cause to fear for the western [/*: - cities. For myself, I do not fear f»r them f- '-'»' (nowj But recently certain questions H"; have arisen that may bring about fricp)' tion. 0;- "Suppose there should come a conflict $~ to-morrow * How futile would lie our pK- efforts to protect Hawaii and the Philipffi.-. is, for the moment. I think that Congress should realise oar posig| ■■■'• tion in this respect. Wc don't care for ; War—please God, may another one never 1 jj& come—lmt one never knows. ' gV; "When a much yoiragcr man I laugh- ; tvi'ed at the suggestion that there would I fc> be a conflict lietween our own people. ; Yet one came. . It blooded the soil of ' j£f both nqrth aud south. But at last we ' |;r got peace. And with it wc secured unity. I |4y By-tfie common Vies of blood, of tradi- ■ j|;f;-:tipn, of heritage, of love, from that war g£:; there has been bora a new nation, ,\ new K. jieople afraid of nobody ; with, a sacred ] 'jegard for the rights and feelings of all I K.-Pthcrs; but at the same lime we are ' ||£keeping our gans free from rust." '