The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-25
The Navies of the World and tho
Navy OF the United states.

formation relating to the present condition
of the navies of the chief maritime nations.
This statement has been compiled with
great care and pains from the most recent
official sources, and the statistics 1t con-
tains are more minute and trustworthy than
anything to be found on the same subject in
the books from which this kind OF informa-
ton is usually sought. At a time when
European war is the chief topic which en-
cages public attention, and when it is pos
sible that all the great Powers may be
drawn into the conflict the value OF fresh
authentic information respecting the naval
equipment OF the principal nations IL OBJ
vious.
Among the many uses which can be made
of it we prefer, at present. to direct atten-
ton to the light in which it presents the
navy of our own country. Our navy does
not appear to advantage in this comparative
exhibit Our claim to occupy place 10 the
foremost rank Of the great nations OF the
world is undisputed. In population, wealth,
resources, in the intelligence and energy OF
our people, IN business capacity and me-
| chanical inventions, and in the magnlhccnce
of our national future, we have no reason
to shrink from comparison with any
| political community on tho face OF
| the globe. In rlere population Russia
as yet surpasscs US; in mere wealth Great
| Britain as yet SURPRISES US; but the time is
not distant when we shall get ahead OF
J them in the points on which they can now
claim o superiority, while the scope given
to talents and enterprise by our free institu-
tons opens before US majestic future
which has no parallel in the reasonable
hopes entertained by any other people.
But the commanding position marked out
for us by destiny can be securely held only
| by maintaining force on the seas adequate
for unfolding the honor Of our flag, for pro-
tecting our commerce and the rights OF our
citizens in all quarters of the world. and
for making our national dignity respected
by jealous rival Powers.
Our army and navy are both small in
comparison with the armies and navies Of
other nations. But the smallness of our
army does not touch our national pride in
sensitive point. The English army has
always been small in comparison with those
Of the great continental Powers-an adyan-
tage which England owes to the felicity of
her geographical position. The continental
nations have powerful and aggressive ma
tons on their frontiers, and are compelled
to support great standing armies for self
protection, but Great Britain, being an
island separated by surrounding seas from
European neigh ors, is under no necessity
of overtaxing her people to maintain vast
standing army. The Channel separates
her from the rest of Europe, and
her Channel feet protects her against
foreign aggression. 1t is chiefly owing to
this geographical separation from the great
military nations OF Europe that England
has outstripped them all in the develop
ment of free institutions. Without a great
standing army, which might have been
made in the hands of the Crown an instru-
ment for suppressing the liberties Of the
people, England has always been the freest
of European nations. But she has been
indebted for this proud position more to
the strength and efficiency of her navy than
to any other cause. Without powerful
vasion by sea across the narrow strip of
water which separates her from the Con-
tinent and must have maintained large
standing army as precaution against sud-
den attacks
The United States are more favored by
geographical position than England. We
are separated, not by few leagues, but by
three thousand miles of water from every
nation that can be deemed formidable. We
have no neighbors that can give MS uneasi-
ness We could conquer Canada in twenty
days if hostilities should arise on that
boundary, and on our Southern frontier
Mexico would not be the invading but the
invaded party if war should unfortu-
nately arise between the two countries. The
only uses we have for an army are protec-
ton against the Indians and the protection
of our Mexican frontier against pestilent
nest Of bandits and cattle raiders An
army OF thirty thousand men would be
sufficient for all purposes, and we regret
that there is disposition to reduce our
present small army OF twenty-five thousand
to still lower figure. But while we have
less use than England for large standing
army we need, as she does, an efficient navy
if we are to maintain our just rank among
the great Powers of the world. Our COM
merce is not yet as important as hers, but
we shall ingloriously fail to make the most
of our opportunities if we do not eclipse her
before the close of this century as the leading
commercial nation We are an active trading
people, and our local situation gives us
the command Of the most important chan
nels of commerce. We are placed between
the two great oceans. From our Pacific
coast we look out upon Eastern Asia, whose
commerce has enriched every nation that