"It is eminently fitting that today, the birthday of Theodore Roosevelt '80, should be set aside by presidential proclamation as Navy Day. More than any one man, perhaps, did Roosevelt build for a great fleet, and the modern navy is in great measure due to his efforts while he was Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President McKinley," said Commander E. R. Rice, head of the newly-created Department of Naval Science and Tactics at the University yesterday.

"The close of the Civil War in 1865," declared Commander Rice, "left the United States with a powerful fleet, but this was allowed to deteriorate during the following thirty years until there was only a collection of rotting vessels. A reaction came, and the construction of more modern ships followed.

"Roosevelt, when he took office as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, pushed the building program, for he saw that a crisis such as that over Venezuela in 1895, might bring the nation into war with a power vastly superior in naval resources and that our weakness in this respect might prove our undoing. The critical state of Cuba led Roosevelt to believe that an explosion in the island might occur at any time, and that the country would do well to have a fleet ready for action in the Caribbean Sea. The promptness with which our fleets swung into action at the declaration of war with Spain and the ease with which they demolished the Spanish Navy adequately demonstrated the wisdom of Roosevelt's policy, and impressed the powers of the world with our strength on the sea.

"The famous Rooseveltian humor was at work even in his performance of his official duties. At the opening of the Spanish war, many seaside cities became frightened and asked for naval protection. One city was so active in its demands that the Secretary dug up, almost literally, one of the old monitors, leaky and water-logged, and had it towed to the harbor in question. Here the old tub remained, in momentary danger of sinking but the citizens were content.

"At present there is great agitation in naval circles for a larger Merchant. Marine, both for purposes of furthering economic prosperity, and as a safety measure. An extensive construction program is in prospect, which, if carried out, should rank the American Marine among the highest in the world. I believe that the impetus to this expansive policy came largely from the aggressive ideas and practice of Theodore Roosevelt."