Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-02
WHY SHOULD THE UNITED STATES
TAKE A BACK SEAT?

them. Samoa, for instance, is one OF
these. 1t vies with Rome itself in the
frequency with which it is forced on the
attention of the public. If an assessor
were to invade Samoa, and we've to make
an inventory of its wealth, he would
probably find that its total valuation
would not amount to one-twentieth part
OF that of the city and county of Los
Angeles. And yet Samoa is heard of
nearly as often as Russia. The Sand
wich Islands are not in any sense great
centers of wealth, and yet Honolulu is
heard of fifty times as often as Sheffield.
Chile and Peru figure every day and
hour in the kilograms which are flashed
to all quarters of the world, and yet
those countries are by no means of over
shadowing significance.
The fact is that the Importance of
many places is purely relative matter.
In the great spread OF the Arabian and
African deserts comparatively trifing
oasis is matter of life and death-a
thing OF prime Importance.
LII tllC CA PdaoC0 COIAlhCACO va OhO
present day coaling stations are the
great need of the hour. England has
been most aggressive and sagacious in
acquiring these, while the United States
has Jagged away behind. The tele-
grams, the other day, advised us that
the Yorktown had arrived at Valpa-
raiso but that Immediately thereafter
the Baltimore was ordered to San Fran
cisco, to go into dry dock and be re-
paired. 1t thus appears that we can
never hope to see in South American
waters any considerable fleet of the new
navy at one time. Americans would
have thought better of the situation in
Chilean waters if the Charleston, Balti-
more and Yorktown, all in prime condi-
tion, had been anchored there at one
time. The same dispatches that chron-
icled the arrival of the Yorktown an
nounced that the Chileiios were still
obstinate and threatening as regards
reparation to murdered American sail
ors.
The duty of the hour in the United
States is to press rapidly to completion
the new navy. Its inception was an
outcome of momentary restoration to
power OF the Democratic party. We
need ships of war. We need coaling
stations. We need training ships, and
plenty of them. Fortunately our de-
clared purpose OF non-aggression, and
the happy temperament and situation
of our people, render standing army,
except OF the most modest dimensions,
unnecessary.
Our efforts to acquire coaling stations
have been most unfortunate. The
United States has long had its eye on
Mole st. Nicholas. Between Admiral
Gherardi and Minister Douglass the ne
gotiations to that end resulted in a
wretched fasco. Our facilities for coal
ing and repairing in the West Indies are
thus of the most miserable description !;
or, rather, they do not exist at
all, the Florida coast being the nearest
recourse under the American flag. On
the Pacific we have aimed to secure
Pearl harbor, in the Sandwich islands,
and as far as the attainment OF our pur
pose is concerned we are still rounding
the point-no-poipt" of the fable of the
Virginia shore. With proper coaling
and repair stations we could multiply
our scant navy many fold.
Why do we not do these things? 1t
is true that, in the coming years, we
shall have to pay out 5000, 900, 900 per
annum for pensions, if not larger sum.
But the obligation to provide for the
maintenance of the dignity, prestige
and safety of the United States is over
whelming.
When the kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland needs coaling stations it
simply seizes them. When, on any of
the drum beats that signalize Britain's
progress around the world, she cares for
either coaling or repair stations, she
does the grab act. 1t matters little
whether the issue involved is an isthmus,
an island or a nationality. England's
greed needed India, and she forthwith
incontinently seized that country of
multifarious millions. Possessed with
sudden panic as to the quickest route
to her East Indian possessions, she
bought control of the stock of the Suez
canal. Still further panic-stricken, after
having bought the Suez canal stock,
this puissant nation grabbed Egypt, and
has held it to this day, after having
shelled Arab Bey out of Alexandria, as
guarantee that her purchase OF Suez
canal stock was not bad investment.
Why should not the United States
acquire something of the hardihood of
John Bull? Is Bull the single ex-
appropriation of the worlds surface?
We trow not. He simply possesses a
big gall and, in international affairs, is
a nervy bully. That is good role, as
things 60. All that we claim is that
the United States is a bigger bully if it
cares to assume that function, and
ought to have an expanded cheek and
an accelerated motion, in the same line.
'TuE nonvamaDt t0 ma ka San Eranpiac0