New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-06
ENGLAND AND AMERICA.
AN EQUIVALENT FOR SUPERIOR NAVAL
PowER-HOw AN INTERNATIONAL
ALLIANCE is REGARDED.


an Anglo-Amercan alliance Is practical one.
What have the Americans" they inquire, TO
offer us in return for moral support ana
naval prestige? We can understand how much
they have to gain from an alliance with Power
having the strongest fleet aTloat, especially IL
they are bent upon changing their foreign policy
and taking an active part in East Indian as well
as West Indian affairs But an ahiance mus:
be based upon equivalent ADVANTAGE What
compensation will there be for England In re.
turn for the tremendous power OF hr navy?"
These are questions which are constaHly put TO
Americans living in London An Ersshman
would not be an Englfshman unless ~ cons!d-
cred the precise bearings Of self-nterest and the
nractical benefits Of an international alliance
| The hest reply which can be made to Questions
/ of this kind Is that an aanca with America
will be the strongest safeguard against the fail.
| ure of England's food supply in time OF war.
| A powerful navy Is Indispensable to England,
because free trade has left her dependent Upon
imported food. The statisticians have shown that
the wheat harvest of the United Kingdom Is Only
equal 20 the requirements Of fourteen weeks. and
that during the remaining th!rty-egh weeks an
imported supply Is the only resource During the
greater part Of the year there Is never more than
six weeks supply Of wheat In England. IL I'm.
! portations Of food were cut on, or partly In
! =
large portion Of the population would be exposed
/ to starvation. This is the real source OF danger
! in time Of war. as every sober minded English.
wan knows. The United Kingdom, with Its In.
suIar position and It's powerful fleet. would be
sacure against invasion. but 1t would not be
nrotected against famine. No safeguard would
n. On ,nvalua bic 10 England as good under
standing with America whence the largest share
! of the imported food supply Is drawn such an
understanding would be worth as much as pow.
erful auxiliary navy.
! The one country with which England couid ieast
! afford to 20 to is America. for the puiK OK
the imported food supply would be withheld
That is the argument based upon seli-lnterest
or rather sef-preservation reduced to its SIM
pest terms Happily there is now no danger OK
contingency so repellent 10 race '"s''"0's y"
each side Of the Atlantic.
The English risks OF warfare include possible
combinations with Russia or France. singly or
together II there should be war with either or
both the question OF food supply would be OF
rho utmost Importance to England; and the
moral support Of the United States in securing
nro,oc,ion for neutral commerce and private
| nroner,v on the high seas would be OF the great
oct value 10 her. With an American ahahee
England would be delivered. to large EXTENT
from the dangers OF a failure OF food supply IL
England has the strongest navy on tHe seas anu
a chain Of coaling stations encircnhs the s'ooe'
America has the chief granares from Whie" ''e
worlds stock Of food Is drawn security asa'ns'
the dear loaf and against famine IN wartime
n full equivalent for British naval armament
The Yerburgh Committee on Na'io"ai ""s"s
c,oros bas recently made an exhaustive report
on the subject OF the food resources Vi Wv
1,r,.sd Kingdom. and recommended the pur-
prtfi oh 20,
ooo 600 quarters OF wheat as a reserved supply
FOR the emergency Of war. This storage se"e"'
,s advocated on the ground that fourteen
weeks supply ~ food is an Indispensable re-
ou,remen, OF national defence. 1t Is not hkeiy
,ho, orv action will be taken by Parliament
upon this report With the relations between
ErgIand and America constantly improving.
,hsrs ia certainly no urgency for this storage
nro,ect Of the panic nongers But the fact that
auch renort with It's unimpeachable proofs
q, the dependence Of England upon imported
food has been made is not without sgnncahce'
That report is a storehouse OF practical arsu'
ments for Engshmen who are seeking TOT eve
dence OF the utility Of an alliance with 'he
United States.
MILITARISM AND BARTER.
There is another comment which Is freaueh''
l., r,ada bv Enslishmen upon the proposals for
an Anglo-Amercan alliance. This relates 10 tne
necessity Of imposing upon the United States an
obligation 10 increase its standing Army ana
10 develop the fighting resources or It's Navy
The objection Is raised that an ally VINO c'uio
not be depended upon to mobilize an army OF
fifty thousand men at short notice would De OF
little use in an emergency. Men who take this
view refer TO the fact That the American squad
ron at the China Station. while suff1cienty pow
erfu TO crush the Spanish fleet IN the fhhp-
pines, has been unequal 10 the naval FORCES "
England. France. Germany and Russia in those
waters and must be largely increased ana sup
piled with coaling stations and drydocks X
there is 10 Re cooperation with Great brila'"
on equal terms otherwise an alliance would %
a one sided bargain. with the obligations sao'
died mainly upon England and the advantages
enioyed by the United States at a minimum
cost and without adequate sense or re-
.porslbili,y Those who discuss the subject IN
this spirit contend that one OF the conditions 0.
an alliance must be an obligation on the part OF
the United States to increase the efficiency OF
the Navy TO maintain a powerful fleet IN ths
East Indies with base under American con-
troll and TO double the strength OF the standing
Army on a peace footing.
Another proposition for an effective aiiahe'
between the two countries relates to an excha"es
OF territories 10 be effected for mutual aa'
vantage Englishmen who have accurate A"o"
edge Of the condition Of their West indian ~
sessions are In despair over their future i"e
sugar islands are doomed they assert as ue
pendencies OF a country whose free-trade po''0'
does not permit tariff Determinations III ''e.'
favor The United States, on the other manu-
with its tariff system and its great marker TOT
sugar. may be able to develop their resources
and restore their prosperity. Why shou'd ~.
Jamaica and other islands. ask these ca"u'"