The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-24
British Naval Preparations.

The reinforcement OF the British squad
ron in Chinese waters by the Powerful and
Terrible, the two swiftest and most power
full cruisers in the world, is a matter of i'm
portance. In conjunction with the 8 $780,
900 about to be spent in Canada on fortifl.
cations 1t becomes an object Of special in
terest for this country.
The British naval force already in the
Chinese seas comprises one first-class bat.
tleship, four first, three second, and one
third class cruiser, besides q despatch yes.
sci and seven %gunboats for coast and river
patrol service. There is at present only
one torpedo boat destroyer, but others are
to be added to this class of vessels. The
remaining vessels are two supply ships,
and the Wivern, coast defence ship in
Hong Kong harbor, sister ship Of the
Scorpion at Bermuda, the two cele-
brated Laird rams that were built at
Birkenhead for the Confederate SER
vice at the close Of the late civil war. The
addition Of the two great cruisers meu-
toned is n menacing augmentation of Brit
ish power in the northern Pacific, and can
not fail to preoccupy the Governments of
the great maritime States ON that ocean,
luCluuluS OuE wv u, u tle SuIclloI Spctu
and destructive power of these warships
allow Of their being rapidly moved from
one side to the other of the Pacific coasts.
AS conveys to the auxiliary cruisers of the
Canadian Pacific steamship line, they prac-
tically insure immunity to those vessels in
the event of their being used as transports
for troops or the carriage of war material,
and give England, until other powers es.
tablish an effective balance of naval power,
either separately or in combination, the
control of the northern Pacific. In com.
bination with the ships on permanent ser.
vice on the northern American Pacific
coast, the British naval force in the north
ern Pacific constitutes a formidable fleet
for a power possessing so small a territorial
interest in that part of the world.
The naval preparations in the northern
Pacific are a part only, however, of the ar
engagements England is making for a posi-
BILE early conflict. The northern Atlantic
is being studded with a series of naval
lookout stations connected with eacE
other and the Canadian and English coasts
on either side by submarine cables, besides
which a regular patrol of the smaller class
of cruisers is organizing to move about
along the line in observation and for the
protection of the cables, and to carry mes
sages rapidly between points that may b,
temporarily isolated by breaks in their tele
graphic communications. These prepare
tions, about which little has been said IL
the English press, all point to the conclusion
that the English Government is preparing
for a struggle, at perhaps an early date, TO
the maintenance of British maritime su
premacy. That there is very little hesitation
about the means it employs to that end
was shown a short time ago when tn
Spanish c~oastguard authorities discoverc,
a British telegraph vessel on the northern
coast Of Spain landing the end of a cable
which had been laid surreptitiously iron
Gibraltar, the object being to have a
alternative line for the transmission O
messages should the known existing cable
between England and Gibraltar be inter
rupted.
This country, lying as it does betwcel
the two oceans which are sure to be prime
pal scenes of conflict, is certainly called o.
to make every preparation for insuring re
spect for its neutrality i'll the event of it
standing outside the struggle, or to be abb
to strike an effective blow should it b
called on to take part for the protection c
American interests.