Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-06
ASymposium Of Views on Its Foreign
Policy.
NEED OF An INCREASED NAVY
Growing Importance Of the Pa
cific.
ARMS AND ANNEXATION

| symposium Learning upon the future of
| the United States as regards its foreign
| policy and the possible acquisition of colo
| NAL possessions, and upon its necessities
| for armament and preparation for possible
| trouble. The first of these articles is "A
| Plea for the Navy" by H. A. Herbert,
| former Secretary of the Navy; the second
| is on Hawaii and the Changing Front OF
| the World" by j. r. Proctor, president
| of the civil service commission, and the
| third treats of American Annexation and
| Armament" by Murat Halstead, the vete-
| ran editor. Thus from a variety of view
| points a subject is treated that is of para
| mount interest to all citizens of the Union,
| and the united verdict of these writers is
that present necessity and manifest desti-
ny call upon the United States to prepare
| to cope with the other powers of the world.
These three articles should be summarized
| together.
Our Navy and Others.
Ex-Sec1etsry Herbert treats of the naval
| situation one who has had official occa-
| sion to study the problems of naval arma-
ment at close range. He gives a table
| showing the number of ships now built and
| being built by the eigh- principal naval
| powers, showing that the United States
| easily occupies fifth place, the scale being
4,
| United States. Germany, Japan and Spain.
| Mr.. Herbert thinks that displacement a
| gauge Of, efficiency is a fair test. and on
| this basis, he believes that the United
| States, in the result of the work of its
| naval designers. has shown itself to be
! quite t-preast of the times.
MIR. Herbert then proceeds to compare
| our navy with the Italian. next above us.
| and the German, next below He shows
that the aggregate mnzzle energy of the
guns Of our battle ships is largely in ex
| cess of that Of Germany and considerably
| greater than that of Italy, owing to our
better and later guns; armored cruis-
ers are much speedier than those of Italy,
| and while our Sunboats and cruising YES
| sells are fewer than those of the other two
| nations, ours vastly superior in total
horse power and average speed and in
| number and muZZle energy of guns.
| IF we should know that we were always
| to be at peace with all the naval powers of
the world, it would be quite easy to say
how large our navy should be. We would
| in that case want only such cruising
sells and gunboatS as would be needed to
look after our interests in countries where
| revolutions are frequent and local laws and
| the rights of foreigners are not always re-
| garded. But the millennium is not yet; SO
some COMPARISONS of naval strength have
been deemed necessary"
The summary of the situation is First,
that We have more property shore as
sailable from the water than any other
| tion that We have more property (com-
1
any other nation; and, third, that except
| ing Great Britain. have more merchant
ships afoat on the ocean great lakes in
cluded) than the five greatest naval pow
ers of the world combined
Possibility of Wnr.
| The eX-Secretary then reviews the recent
historical record of wars forced upon rulers
| by popular opinion. and hints at such a
condition arising in Spain, growing out of
the sentiment in this b1p n
| the Cuban insurgents. He shows by such
records the power of public sentiment even
| in monarchical countries, and suggests a
similar condition in this country, where
the conditions for the efficacy of public
sentiment are much more favorable. "A
spark he says. can kindle con1agra-
ton among US at any moment and he in
stances the attitude of the people toward
President Cleveland's Venezuelan message
and on the Cuban question.
This article would not be complete" con-
| tinues the ex-Secretary, without glancing
at what is possible, though it is hoped not
probabfe-a conflict with Japan, arising out
of conditions of Hawaii He goes on to
compare the two navies in some detail and
shows that in view of the lack of trans
lsthmian naval communication between the
Atlantic and Pacific, Japan has a marked
advantage over the United States. IF we
annex Hawaii" he says. I'VE must add
largely to our Pacific fleet. We cannot
otherwise defend this outpost 1900 miles
from our present boundaries"
The ex-Secretary notes the importance
from naval standpoint of the Nicaragua
canal. and says that regardless of any uues-
ton of territorial extension we should add
to the number of our battle ships and build
many more torpedo boats. He recommends
six more battle ships for the Atlantic fleet
and half as many for the Pacific, along
with Seventy-five torpedo boats and sug-
gests that they be built during a program
of five years, two battle ships and about
fifteen torpedo boats to be laid down each
year The ex-Secretary's article concludes
as follows: Let me say in conclusion
that all classes are interested in maintain
ing the efficiency of our navy above all
farmers. Their crops form the bulk of our
exports; their surplus must seek and must
be protected while it seeks, the markets
of the world"
Importance of the Pacific
President Proctor of the civil service
commission In his article on Hawaii and
the Changing Front of the World" de-
clares that nothing has been more note
worthy during the century now drawing
to close than the wonderful expansion
of Great Britain, Russia and the United
States. The writer reviews the efforts of
Russia to reach the open seas, indicating
her vast advantage today through her
aiilance with China and her nearly com
pietsd trans Siberian railroad.
The presence of Russia in the far aast ~
ne goes on. and the possibility of a COM
bination between Russia and China. fol
lowed by the awakening of China from her
sleep OF centuries; the extension of French
dominion in Indo-China, Siam and NADIA
sascar; the partitioning of Africa and the
Islands of the Pacific among Euronean
powers; the industrial growth of Japan and
her entrance into the family of nations as
great naval and military power: the com
PIetlon OF the great military highways from
Hallfax to Vancouver, and from st. Peters
burg to Vladivostock; the rapid peonIjns
OF British Columbia and our north Pacific
states and of the Amur and Manchuria
districts-all tend to change the front of
the world and to transfer to the nlacid
racine the national activities which for
tnree centuries past have rendered the
Atlantic the theater of stirring events
we must expect points of vantage in
the Pacific to be occupied There is vast
area Of the Pacific ocean. with one and
only one, great land-locked harbor. easily
defended-Pearl Harbor in the HawaIian
Islands. These islands are situated AT the
intersection of the great commercial routes
from Vancouver to Australasia. from the
Isthums OF Panama to Japan from San |
francisco to Hong Kong and Canton"
Mr.. Proctor indicates that Americans
must be on the lockout fer the foreign mar
ket for their gctds, which may at any time
be closed to them by hostile tariffs. and he