The morning call., 1894-02-05
NEW NAVIES.

Great Britain, Rus STA and France are
spending so much money in new naval
construction that their conduct can only
be explained on the theory that in all
three countries statesmen foresee an
early outbreak of maritime war. In 1890
Parliament appropriated $780, 000,00 for
new ships Of war. That sum has nearly
all been spent. and England has TO show
for it SO battleships and 9S cruisers of all
classes. An appropriation of about S15,-
OUO.OOO more was made at the last session
of Parliament, and now we learn that the
Government proposes to spend nearly
two and half times as much for next
year. In addition TO the three great battle
ships OF 1900 tons each, whose keels have
already been laid. it is proposed to build
I'VE more similar in size and type. These
monitors will cost about 100000 each.
Meanwhile both France and Russia are
increasing their fleets as rapidly as Eng
land. France launched q whole new navy
last year, including several 1l,S00-ton
battleships of the Charles Martel style.
This year she is going to spend S15,500.-
600 on new ships. Russia proposes 10
spend S27. 800. 600 on new construction in
1894. The aim of the English is to put
aflOat navy as large as the navies of
France and Russia com bned. while the
object of the latter countries seems to be
TO render that impossible.
These several nations being ned by
intelligent men the enormous pending out
lays for new navies must have a reason,
and that reason can only be that war i'm
ponds between England on the one side
and France and Russia On the other. 1t
appears equally certain that the locale of
that war must be in the Mediterranean.
The gigantic steam fleets of the present
day can only be used to advantage in a
closed sea, in which the vessels could be
concentrated under single command, and
there could be no long ocean stem chases
like the memorable one In which Nelson
INDUCED in his search for Villeneuve across
the Atlantic and back in the summer of
1906 If the fleets mean war, and war in
the Mediterranean. on what pretext is it
going to break out?
That is a question more easily asked
than answered. 1t can indeed only be
answered tentatively. France has nothing
10 gain at the present time by making war
upon England. But Russia has. Great
Britain is the only existing barrier to the
eXDans sion of Russia. She stands in the
way of Russia's normal spread to the
Mediterranean; she opposes an iUsur-
mountable barrier to her extension into
Southern Asia. \ recent Panslavist pub
LEGATION shows how the Russians feel on
the subject. The writer says that the
population of the Russias at the
present time is 124,OOO,OOO. nearly
double the population of the United
States, and over three times the
population of the United Kingdom. Her
army on a peace footing numbers about
5000 and might in case of war be raised
10 100000. without stripping the agricul-
tural districts OF labor. Such force would
be superior to any which Great Britain
and her allies could bring against it, for
though there is practically no limit TO the
number of levies that might be raised in
British India, with its population of 290-
600, 900, it is not at all certain how these
Indian troops would act in the event of a
war with Russia. The Panslavist writer
assumes that Russia and the United States
are the coming powers of the world, and
that while this hemisphere will fall into
the hands of the latter. the former will
dominate not only Asia, but Europe ike
wise.
This is the Russian point of view. From
he French point of view, the object to be
gained by close offensive or defensive ALI
snce with Russia would be movement on
the Rhine, backed by the appearance Of
Russian army on the Vistula. In the
actual presence of war the Dreibund
would pro Dably go TO pieces. Austria has
certainly nothing to gain by unfolding
Germany's hold on the Rhine provinces,
and ltaly's interference would cost her
her fleet. The French statesmen probably
reckon that when they are able to demon
strate to England that she is inferior on
the sea to France and Russia combined,
Parliament would cry 10 the Ministry
Hands OFF,