The times., 1897-06-20
A British Challenge.

The London Globe, discussing the
Hawaiian annexation treaty, is undiplo-
matte enough to give utterance TO the
real British view of the matter, and is
unwilling, unlike most English journals,
to assist in concealing the policy of Lord
As, hitherto we have remarked the Globe
is the leading British exponent of m
perial land-gTabbing, and the sturdy az
vocate of everything in British policy
most obnoxious to America and Americans
1t is good enough to say:
"Yiewing the great strategic value OF
the group to England Z is a matter of
regret that the islands were net added
10 che British empire long ago, and there
was all the more reason to anticipate q
prompt and watchful attitude ON Ghe part
OF Lord Salisbury, who should have re-
membeTed what nabby appearance Eng
land presented before a conUemptuous
world n the case OF Venezuela. No
English ministry can afford TO repeat that
often. Lord Salisbury should stiffen
his back and tell Mckinley plainly that
Great Britain claims the right To be
con nsnlted before the matter OF annexation
is decided -
The Globe is not content with its appeal
to the ministry for adverse action; 1t serves
notice upon rJ that the United States
Navy does not amount to much, and that
the nayies of either Japan or Spain prob
ably could walk away with what little
sea force We might inject into the situa-
ton. 1t remarks: 'The American Navy
is absolutely unfit to protect the islands
which lie at the mercy of any Spanish
warships appearing at Honolulu, while
Japan's sea force is SO immeasurably su
perior to that of the United States that
a Japanese naval demonstration would
place President Mckinley In difficult
and perilous position"
These are strong words Let us see what
there is behind them. In an exhaustive and
scholarly review of the present condition
OF our navy, written by Lieut. Commander
J. d. Jerrold Kelley u. S N, and printed
in Harpes's Weekly, we are pretty well
Informed on the suhjectof our sea strength
Not to enter into his interesting discussion.
of the matter, his summary of the national
fighting strength of the nation on water
compare Lieut.. Commander KeIley's data
with the latest published information re-
garding the naval force of Japan.
We have three battleships of the first
class, against Japan's two; we have six
building, and so has Japan. We have two
hattleships of the second class, compared
with one, which the Japanese captured
from China. We havetwo armoredcruisers,
and the Japanese have five; but three OF
them are old iron affairs, useful only for
convoy purposes The United States has
three ffrst-class armored cruisers Japan
has none. We have thirteen second and
third class cruisers, and Japan has twenty
seven; but, on the other hand, there are
nine American gunboats CHASING with the
Japanesethird-raters In torpedo boats and
torpedo-hoat destroyers, the mosquito fleet
in fact, the japanese are our superiors.
Otherwise, we outclass them In tonnageand
effective strength, This is illustrated In
the percentage table published by Lieut.
Commander Kelley, and appended to his
paper. In 1t the relative strength Of the
worlds navies is approximately given
The comparative standing Of the naval
powers is thus stated: Great Britain, 81 5;
France, .37.5; Russia, % s.; Italy, 20;
United states. / 0; Germany. 8 s.; Spain, 3;
Japan. 4; Austria, 8; Netherlands, "a.
Comment on these figures seems super
flaous. Ignorant London papers may hug
the deiusion that either Japan with four
per cent OF the worlds naval power, or
Spain. with four and half per cent,
could wipe out the United States, possess
ing ten per cent, but the British Admiralty
knows better. and other sane people ought
to.
There is not the slightest danger that