New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-17
ETrPOPE',S GREAT NAVIES.

The latest number Of "Brassey's Naval An
nuai' shows the British Navy 10 be not merely
bv far the most powerful in the world IL Is
more powerful. by fair margin, IMAM any 'Wo
others put together. That represents the mini
mum OF safety. The security OF the Empire anu
of the United Kingdom Itself depends upon the
fleet and the hed must be strong enough TO van
uuisn any opponent or any combination OF oppo
nen,s that can he brought against 1t. Now the
second and third navies in the world are those
of France and Russia. The combination OF
those nations. therefore. represents the most
formidable foe Great Britain IS likely to encoun
for That n third or fourth Power could be
added TO the alliance is not deemed possible
Italy has the next navy In order OF strength
hut she Is EnglaDd's friend. Germany comes
next. but that she and France Will join in
war against Great Britain is not within the
limits Of reasonable expectation. The power1u
m yips of japan and the United States are. Tor
Obvious reasons, to be left ont Of the 'calcna-
ton and there is no other in the world that need
he regarded seriously II is toward the dock
Yards Of France and Russia therefore, mat
British eyes are turned. Superiority to the COM
bined navics Of those two Powers Is the stand
ard tho British Admiralty Is bound TO MAINTAIN.
Thus far II ha. maintained It. and promises TO
do so hereafter But the task Will he an IN
creasingl- Difficult, one. Russia's dongs are
carefully concealed from the wOrld. but 1t l.
known that shpbuilding operations on an enor-
nous scale arc being pleSsed forward OH bo'i
the Baltic and the Black Sea. France Is more
omen in her methods She Is increasing her h"et
nj a rapid rate and proposes 10 do so even
more extensively 4 bill is Fastening toward
enactment providing an extraordinary naval
onproprjation of $52OOO.OO. Of which S40,O00,-
600 IS TO 60 for new ships. These latter. more
over. are TO he not heavy battle-shps. but swift
armed cruisers the very ships that could do
Grea. Britain the most harm. OF course, rela-
lions between Great Britain and France are
iust now more than ordinarily friendly and
there is no supposltiOn that such naval expan-
sion in France is In any immediate sense men
nee TO Great Britain. Nevertheless the Brit
ish rule must he maintained. especially since
France is said TO be about to conclude n hard
and-fast alliance with Russia. and so British
naval construction will probably be pushed even
more vigorously than AT present.
! Although a union OF Germany with France
md Russia against Great Britain Is scarcely
possible. much interest must be attached TO the
| increase Of the fleet upon which the German
Emperor has decided. The Reichstag refused
| 10 vote the appropriation he wanted. Never
| theless he has gone right on to order new ships
! and guns at n great rate, and they are being
built AZ fast as wOrkmen can turn them ont
Ten big battle ships and sixteen cruisers are 80
| he finished I'm the next three years. That Is an
| impOsing programme, and It's completion will
! add much TO Germany's naval strength. To
make his navy as powerful rs that Of France
! mr. Russia Is said to be the EmperOr's ambition
That is natural. The possibility Of a war be-
| tween Germany and one OF those Powers is not
10 be overlooked. and repetition Of the Ger
man losses at sea In 1870 and 1871 Is TO be guard
ed against Besides, Germany has now vast
foreign commerce and considerable colonial
empire 10 defend. Her naval expansion is MOI,
therefore, to he regarded as a direct menace
to Great Britain. But II will not b without Its