Omaha daily bee., 1889-01-26
OUR STATE OF TTON,

In view of the possibility, remote
though it may be, of hostilities between
the United States and Germany, which
would necessarily be u naval conflict,
it is interesting to inquire what our
state of preparation is. The last report
of the secretary of the navy supplies
the desired information. AT the time
of the writing of the report there were
in the North Atlantic squadron four
war vessels, in the South Atlantic
squadron three, in the Asiatic squadron
five, in the Pacific squadron eight,
ana in the European squadron
three-a tota! of twenty-three
unarmored war vessels in good
fighting condition. About a
dozen more were engaged on special
and detached service or undergoing
repairs, all of which are doubtless now
available. There were in course of con-
struction, as provided for by congress,
eight armored vessels, some of which
are now nearly completed. The report
of the secretary of the navy says: THE
department is able to report that when
the ships in course of construction and
those authorized shall nave been COM
peted. the United States will rank
second among the nations in the posses
sion of unarmored cruisers or ''com-
merce destroyers," having the highest
characteristics, viz, OF size three thou
sand tons and upward, and possessing
speed of nineteen knots and upward.
1t thus appears that the government
l., Il - I,
completed-over forty war vessels whose
capacity for preying upon the commerce
OF another nation is hardly excelled,
England and France only surprising us
IN this particular. With this force, and
additions which might rapidly be made
to it by Transforming the larger steam
ers in the coastwise service into cruis-
ers, it would seem that We ought to be
able to inilict very severe dam
age upon the commerce of Germany,
and having little maritime commerce of
our own to protect, nearly the entire
naval force could be occupied in de.
stroying the commerce OF our oppo-
nents. But the question is naturally
suggested as to what we should do for
home defense-that is, the protection of
our seaports-in the event of Germany
sending fleets into our waters. She
has navy more than double ours in
the number of vessels, with some of the
best ships in the world. Here APP
parently is our weak point, but Ger
many would probably require nearly all
of her naval force that she could safely
send away from present employment to
guard her commerce, and would thus
be unable to seriously threaten our
ports. The possibility OF such a con-
tingency, however, strongly urges that
we should not be in n condition to war
rant apprehension on this score. 1t
might happen that in the event of a
conflict Germany would decide to make
some sacrifice Of her commerce in order
to strike us where we are confessedly
vulnerable, as the most direct and GER
tain way OF bringing us to terms.
1t is seen, however, that we are in
much better condition to defend our
selves, SO far as the naval estab ablishment
| is concerned, than we were three years
ago, when the United States did
not have one vessel Of war which
could have kept the seas for a
weak as against any first-rate naval
power, and the present circumstances
should impress congress with the duty
of still further strengthening the ma
tion is this direction. The time has
gone by when this country can rely for
security against hostile complications
upon its isolation or the good will OF
other nations. Our enlarging interests
and expanding relations make us more
and more competitor of other nations
for commercial advantages, and we
must be prepared to maintain our
rights or be forced to surrender them.
Whatever may be the outcome OF the
controversy with Germany We should
not fail to see in it an admonltion to be
always in good state OF preparation.