Answer: Alfred T. Mahan
Explanation:
Alfred Thayer Mahan was an American Naval Officer and Historian who was widely known to be a brilliant strategist. He wrote two books about the influence of the Navy on the strength and development of a nation, both of which were well read and made him famous.
He believed that for a nation to succeed it needed a strong navy that could be used commercially in peace time or win a war in wartime. He even came up with plans for conflict with the foremost Naval power of the time, Britain.
A Senator and indeed a lot of Americans that would have read the writings of Mr. Mahan would have been convinced that the US needed to build more battleships than every other nation.
