Morning journal and courier., 1890-05-23
NAVAL DRRErsEs.

NAVAL DRRENSEs.
 Our American Navy ana Coast De-
 fenses-EngIand's Vast Commerce
 ana vast Navy-A Cry In Albion for
 Ssill Further Naval Protection.
 To the editor of the JOURNAL AND CouRrEa:
 On my recent journey to Europe came across copy of Galignani's Messenger, and was much interested in the article ap. pended below, relative to Englands naval defenses and her situation as regards pros tecting her foreign trade in case of war. The CoURIER some years ago published e series of articles on the need and importance of in- creased coast and naval defenses for Ameri- %, subject which is nowadays claiming 10 much national attention. Our naval force has been augmented, but what can we say with regard to our ocean commerce as . na- tion3 am glad to see our townsman, Hon. N. D. Sperry, taking so vigorous and promi- nent part in the efforts to arouse national attention to the need of grand revival of our dropping ocean commerce. England's ships are upon every sea. No wonder public attention In that country is being called to the difficulty under which that country would labor, even with its great fleet of war
 
 commerce from Q foreign foe in time of war.
 The current number of the United Service Magazine presents its readers with transla- tion, from the Deuteches Heeres Zsitung, of an article on the naval defence act which IS we'll deserving the attention of all men of business. The article is from the pen of au impartial foreigner who has studied the question closely, Is not connected with any party in this country, and has no interest in ta6 ha ufo of vaartfoUlAr It ia, therefore, absolutely impartial; and 1t summarizes more clearly and more fully than we have elsewhere seen the opinions held on the subject by the leading authorities in this country. We obtain from abroad more than two-thirds of our total wheat supply, very large proportion of our other food supply, and still larger proportion of the raw materials of our industries. Indeed, we ob. tain altogether the raw materials of some of our most important industries. It is obvious, therefore, that If our trade could be com- pletely interrupted for some months we might be brought dangerously near starva- ton. The prices of all foods would rise to the starvation level, and at the same time millions of men and women would be left without any livelihood. In case, therefore. we were engaged in war with naval power we may safely assume that its first object would be to interrupt as far as 1t could our foreign trade. It need not attempt 80 dangerous sn enterprise as the inva- sion and conquest of England. It would completely bring us to our knees if it stopped for while the imports of food and raw materials. Therefore the protection of our foreign trade is hardly second in im- portance to the protection of the country itself; or, rather, it is more correct to say that the protection of the country involves the protection of our foreign trade. It is hardly necessary to add that even If our | foreign trade could in the long run be pro | tected 1t might be so harassed and disturbed | as to bring ruin upon important interests. It Is disoouraging to find that an impartial and intelligent foreign inquirer leans to the | conclusion that the naval defense act will not put us fin such position that we car completely protect our foreign trade.
 Including sailing and steamships, the msr' l cantile marine of the British empire equals l in tonnage the mercantile marines of all tho l rest of the world and confning our attention l to steamers alone, we have practically two l thirds of the steam tonnage of the world. If therefore, we had thoroughly efficient or ganization,it is clear that we could complete ly overwhelm at sea any possible combination | . thoroughly efficient organization. There. | fore the very magnitude Of our resources | constitutes a source of danger. Our ship are scattered over every eea, and thougi | the possession of colonies and depend encies all over the world affords ui means for protecting our commerce greate than any other country possesses, yet, fo | want of proper organization and timely pre- caution, the vessels so scattered will probabl, find themselves at the mercy of hostile cruis CTS when war breaks out. During the grea
 war with France at the beginning of this cen
 tury we were able to blockade hostile port
 tolerably successfully. We finally, therefore drove hostils flags from the ocean, and gain
 ed for ourselves complete supremacy. Bu in the same number of the United Servic
 Magazine, Admiral Hornby, perhaps tn
 that "it is pretty certain that ! fleet during war can leave a tairl
 by help of Q dark or thick night. If this b 90, an efficient blockade is out of the ques tion. If 1t be attempted, ships, perhaps evsl cape from harbor in spite of the most carefu watch that may be kept up. If that wer' to happen, 1t is clear that the blockading forc' might not learn what had happened unti the escaping force had got far enough to dt incalculable mischief to our mercantil, marine. It follows, then, that unless we ar able almost immediately on the outbreak O. war to drive the enemy's ships from tn ocean, 6 very large part of our navy will b. | cuBukcu Ah Oh"oAh6 pAAP" VI 1Se"eAASAA from ocean to ocean. Even if we were [, crush the enemy in one or two decisive vio tories at tho beginning of the war, 1t woult be impossible to prevent cruisers of al kinds from getting out of port and preyinl upon our merchantmen, wherever the. could be found. It will be in the recollec ton of every reader what injury the Als bAma alone was able to do to the mercantil | marine of the North American states durinl the civil war; and if we were engaged in
 great struggle 1t is certain that many Ala bamas would be launched against us.
 In case of war, then, it Is clear that V
 should require powerful fleets to protect th
 United Kingdom in the first place, and, i
 the second, India, our colonies and our othe
 should require large number of cruisers
 deal with the enemy's cruisers, ,and we shout also require conveys to accompany fleets c , merchant vessels on the great trade routei
 Having pointed out all this, the article which we are calling attention observes: "Th
 attainment of absolute inviolability of com
 merce is simply impracticable. But even whe
 account Is taken of the real increase in th
 strength of the British fleet, English trad
 and English merchant shipping, ,inadequstel l protected as they are, will be exposed [
 great dangers. Loading English ship
 with neutral goods can only take place i
 pressing cases which leave no choice. Tn
 chief reason of this will be that the bes and fastest vessels of the English mercantil marine will be for the most part withdraw from commerce for employment as auxiliar cruisers. Moreover, freighters may hay some objection to exposing their goods, eve
 if not liable to seizure, to the risk that the
 may be transferred to another ship in COT
 sequence of the capture of the Eng lish carrying ship, and may subsequsntl run all conceivable dangers. It will, there
 fore, be principally carried on by neutral
 From this not only will English trade suffe
 enormously. but the English trading fet will also bs considerably diminished, fe
 many ships will be purchased by neutral
 firstly, in order that tho capital invested
 these ships may not remain unproductiv while 1t requires further outlay and expenl
 for maintenanoe; and secondly, in order thu
 the capital itself may not be exposed to tt possibility of capture by the enemy, or the case may be, to destruction"
 or for ohio.
 Mr. Edward Granger, better known