Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-05-08

practical addition of the whole ], $50 600
tons, because the $50, 900 tons broken up
had done its work for her aggrandize-
ment and simply passed through the scrap
heap and the mills into the new tonnage.
No great fact can exist without a great
reason.
In recent years Germany, on a large
scale and in a systematic way, and this
country, on a small scale and in a spas
modic way, have put forth efforts in the
direction of power.
England instantly takes alarm. To her
the growth of any other sea power, even
if its scope be compare lively small and
its extent comparatively feeble, is a peril
second only to the landing of an invading
army in Kent.
England is determined that she shall be
not only the supreme sea power, but also
that except within limits set by herself
there shall be no other sea power at all.
She will tolerate the growth of any 9th
er sea power only SO far as the point at
which it begins to affect her naval
premacy or dispute the ocean monopoly
of her merchant marine.
She will crush it by intrigue, by cajolery,
by treaties, if she can. She will crush it
by preponderating force if she must.
Ever since two firSt-class American
ships were put in the transatlantic trade
under American management every device
of foul play that selfish ingenuity can in
! vent dHd every IeSOTI tudL uuScTupulOuS
rivalry can suggest have been exhausted
by the English press and the English ad-
ministration to defame and discredit them.
English officials abroad, from ministers
and consuls down, industriously reproduce
| in the newspapers of Japan, Chill, Argen-
| tine and Brazil the miSStatements of the
| English press about American vessels
The British postoffice delays the Ameri-
| can mails for days in the slower ships of
! the Cunard line, rather than send much
one letter by the American line.
Our postoffice responds by liberal allot-
| ments of its European mails to all the
| British lines
| The result of all this is that while this
| country has never known such industrial
| stagnation and such financial distress,
| England has never known such industrial
activity and financial prosperity as now.
| Does it not occur TO men who look the
least bit below the surface that the war
| fare for ocean-empire and the strife for
| commanding sea-power which England
| forces upon the rest of mankind have
| reached stage SO acute that her pros
perity unalterably means the misery of
everybody else, and that everybody's loss
| is inevitably her gain?
| What is the response of the United
| States to this tremendous exertion of
| English energy and resource to the ag-
grandizement of her sea-power?
To the English estimates for the current
/
amounting to eleven million nine hundred
and FIVE thousand pounds sterling GIL
9O5, 600, say S57. 334,5 500 and a program
| involving 1OS new ships in all stages be-
| tween laying down and completion the
| United States responds by a sudden halt
| in even the comparatively feeble program
| ftful1y pursued since 1885, and a fat
| collapse of the policy of the new navy as
| whole.
To the $4,000 tons of new merchant
shipping built by England during the past
| year, what will be the response of the
United States?
Now the future lies wholly in the hands
of Congress.
From that quarter comes no sign.
A tariff bill framed to produce revenue.
| and at the same time to promote and en-
| courage American industries, is to be pass-
ed. To greater or less extent this tariff
| is calculated to promote and encourage
every American industry but two-ship-
owning and building.
As / have already said, this ceasele.s
ebb of gold without compensation ia the
it is paid through English ship-owners.
The United States has never been able
to get any of it back except by borrowine
it on bonds.
England is keenly alive to these pre.+
economic facts and their results.
Is the United States to be forever blind
to them and their significance?
These are the questions which confron+
us. Very respectfully,
j CHAS. h. CRAMP.