The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-30
Our Naval Policy.

Capt. A T. Mahan, L. 5. N, a mem
Der of the naval strategy board at Wash
ington and the author OF one or more
books on sea power. and who is regarded
"a the American authority on naval SUBJ
tects contributes 70 Harper's Magazine,
a paper on Current Failacies Upon Naval
Subjects" which IS especially timely, and
should have the attention OF the country.
and particularly of the countrys repre-
sentatives in Congress. who are called
upon to vote appropriations for the ma,
uonal defenses. The current war with
Spain has awakened an interest in the
national defenses generally, and the navy
particularly, which VIII no doubt have the
greatest influence upon our future policy
in military affairs. It is important. there
fore, that we so take the testimony OF
those who have made a study of the mat
ter, in order that We may profit by their
conclusions.
Capt. Mahan is an advocate of a strong
navy not merely one for defense in The
military sense of the word, but navy
which would be capable of going out and
assaiiing the enemy and hurting him in
his vital interests. He broadens the sig
nificance of defense" to make ii include
The defense of "our national interests"
wherever they may be. Mere defensive
war which in a naval sense would mean
keeping our ships at home in harbors and
rivers to repel attacks of the enemy. and
leaving the enemy to chose his own battle
ground and mode of attack, would mean
military ruin, and, therefore. national dis
aster." The best defense therefore, is
navy which. on occasion, can vigorously
assail the enemy in his own territory if
necessary, and strike him numerically
and increasingly until he is down. The
ability to do this, and to do it at once upon
the breaking out of hostiliues. would be
the very best assurance that our national
demands would be listened 10 with respect
and would go very long way toward pre-
venting war. The best use of a powerful
navy is not SO much to wage war as to
prevent 1t.
That we are not exempt from war g.
at present illustrated. No assurance can
be given that we may not be at war again
shortly after the conclusion of a peace
with Spain. It is the opinion of Capt
Mahan that the general acceptance by the
country of the Monroe doctrine as set
forth in the recent Venezuela incident
gives this country "one of the biggest
contracts any modern state has under
taken" That contract has not yet been
abrogated or superseded. In order to De
able 10 live up to it, the country must
have a strong navy. II is not necessary.
however that we should have the strone.
est navy in the world. We should not
be called upon to match that of Great
Britain, or even France Neither of those
countries could send anything like their
whole naval forces against us in the event
of our becoming involved in war with
them, because of their outlying interests
and various political entanglements
Twenty ships of The line. Capt Mahan
thinks, would be sufficient for all of our
needs and would insure us peace: and
these twenty first-class ships. together
with other inferior craft that would be
needed to evenly balance the navy. coulc
be built and maintained for twenty years
for less than the cost of a war lasting
five years.
The idea which the captain brings out
most strongly is that a powerful navy Is
the most effective conservitor of peace
and that it would be cheaper from the
standpoint of dollars and cents, not to
mention the thousands of lives involved n
war, for the country to provide the navy
needed and then live in peace and Sc
curity.
In the Line of Duty.