Bryan's Peace Squadron.

New York Times 100 years ago today, May 14, 1913:
Secretary Plans Friendship and Fellowship to Abolish War.
Special to The New York Times.
    WASHINGTON, May 14.— William J. Bryan is a "two-battleship" man. He launched yesterday the peacemaker Friendship, intended to drive all death-dealing armorclads from the seas by knocking them out with shells of good will and the smokeless powder of affection. He laid to-day the keel of the sister vessel Fellowship. Speaking informally of his efforts for international peace, he said he would send out the Fellowship on the broad international waters bound for the harbors of Concord and Amity and carrying only kindly sentiment as ammunition.
    To a remark made by Andrew Carnegie, Mr. Bryan gave credit for his own conception of the Friendship. Mr. Carnegie had spoken, he said, of two small gunboats that were the only war craft of England and the United States on the Great Lakes, and the limitation of the armed marine representation on the lakes to those vessels had been a potent force for friendly relations between the powers.
    "The thought occurred to me," explained the Secretary of State, "that if two such small craft could aid peace there was no reason why this Nation, which is friendly to all others, should not take the lead in a movement of genuine friendship which would absolutely eliminate all possibility of war. The enthusiastic reception my words have met have encouraged me greatly to hope that the peace plan will work to success."