D ECEMBER 16 the greatest and most powerful fleet of battle-ships ever assembled under one command left Hampton Roads, Va., on its long cruise to the Pacific Coast. There has been and still is a great deal of speculation in regard to the possible meaning of this maneuver of the battle-ship squadron of the American navy. But the administration affirms that the only purpose is to test the strength of the war-ships and to give the men the needed drill in maneuvering and the general duties incident to the sea voyage.
President Roosevelt has the very strong personal opinion that the only way to keep the peace is to keep the nation in constant readiness for the most vigorous war; this being done, the other nations will be more than likely to let you alone. And in harmony with this view he thinks it necessary to give the officers and men of the navy the great test of bringing the battle-ship squadron to the Pacific Coast, and immediately on arriving here to go into target practise. If the men are able to perform this feat they will be able to show that they could go from the Atlantic to the Pacific to meet an enemy. Any defects in the strength of the ships or in the skill or abilities of the men will thus be brought out and can be corrected. From the statesman's standpoint it would be hard to combat, successfully, the theories of the President.
It was while President Roosevelt was Assistant Secretary of the Navy that he made his demands upon Congress for a large appropriation with which the navy could engage in target practice. And while at the time no one had any intimation that the nation would later go to war with Spain, yet the marksmanship of the naval gunners that was developed under Mr. Roosevelt's leadership made itself very manifest and effective in the two brief engagements with the Spanish navy in Manila Bay and at Santiago. It is probable that the lesson thus learned is what has led the President to disregard the criticisms that so many are making and send the fleet on this long and expensive voyage.
The foregoing are simple facts and suggestions that any one can glean who is following what the papers are saying. But there is another side to this question that should be of interest to every one. Men have claimed that we have reached an era of peace. They have also affirmed that this era of peace is to grow more and more peaceful until there will be no further use for any of the implements of war. The same men have also told us that this is a "Christian nation," and yet we find this same nation sending out one of the most powerful battle-ship fleets that the world has ever seen assembled.
There is another interesting thing in connection with this fleet and that is that all of these ships have been built since the close of the Spanish-American War less than ten years ago. When the war with Spain closed, the United States had but four first-class battle-ships: the Oregon, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Idaho. When war was declared with Spain the Oregon was in San Francisco Bay, and was ordered to proceed at once to the Atlantic Coast to assist in the battle with Admiral Cevera's fleet. The vessel made herself famous by the work she did in passing clear around South America and reaching Santiago in time to do some of the hardest fighting in the battle that destroyed and captured the Spanish ships.
But the last seven years have placed the Oregon, with all her glorious record, where she is only considered worthy to act as a "coast defense" ship. She is too antiquated to go out to battle with her modern sisters that have just left the East on their cruise to the Pacific. The Oregon was in the very front ranks of battle-ships seven years ago, but the furious pace at which the war-gods are driving men have in this brief span of time put her in the museum of antiquity. And altho she is a great ship, and could work awful havoc, yet the ships of recent days are so much more powerful that she is completely outclassed.
FLAG-SHIP OF REAR-ADMIRAL ROBLEY D. EVANS, COMMANDER OF THE FLEET.
The efficiency of these battle-ships that have just started for the Pacific may be judged from the results of a recent target practise of the flag-ship of the squadron, the Connecticut. Steaming at ten knots an hour, she commenced firing at two targets, both of the same size, thirty feet high and fifty feet long, when she was distant four and one-half miles. She kept up her fire for eight minutes, firing at one of the targets for the first part of the time and then turned her guns on the other one. Her last shots were fired at a distance of five and one-half miles. When the targets were examined it was found that in the brief space of the eight minutes she had put thru them four 12-inch, nine 8-inch, and seventeen 7-inch shells. The targets were only about one-eighth the length of a modern battle-ship. This gives an idea of what modern battles will mean.
It is true that men have been talking about the coming peace of the world. But while men have been talking thus the prophecies of the Bible have been telling of what we may expect. They tell of the peace that men will be talking and at the same time they tell us of the great preparation for war that will be going on. The culmination of this war tragedy will be on the most bloody battle-field of which the world has ever dreamed. The like of it has never been seen.
Viewing this time the prophet exclaims:
"My anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart; my heart is disquieted in me; I can not hold my peace; because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is laid waste." Jer. 4:19, 20.
In harmony with the foregoing striking prophecy the apostle John speaks of his vision of the great war of the "great day" in the following words:
"And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs: for they are spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war11of the great day of God, the Almighty." Rev. 16: 13, 14.
The "great day of God" is to be marked by a most furious war. The elements are preparing for it in the world to-day. Are you a careful student of these prophecies? Are you watching the trend of events in the world and do you know what they signify?
T.
