New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-26
NEED OF q BIGGER NAVY.
CONTROVERSIES LIKELY TO ARISE Thai
WILL REQUIRE THE USE OF FORCE

WILL REQUIRE THE USE OF FORCE
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Perhaps you will allow me TO say rev
words I'm the columns of your paper with regard
70 an increase in the strength of our Navy
In the first place then, what does navy rep
resent9 II represents crystallized power. energy
stored I'D and ready to be applied AT gwen
point at any given time. 1t is not dlihcuIt 10
understand tn at as the whole changes III cna' :
acter the nature of the component parts must
also change. Thus when the whole is represent
ed by q fleet Of wooden warships the component
parts which are essential to its creation and
preservation differ in degree from the compo-
nent parts Of the whole when represented by a
fleet Of modern steel-clad l!ne-o'-batte shps'
That Is to saw while the component OF time may
have been months. it is now years; while the
component Of skill may have been limi'ed 10 the
carpenter and sailmaker, IL now embraces All
.be ramiecations of scientific invention. and
while the expenditure of money may have peeh
In the thousands. it is now in the millions.
But while the component parts were small ana
now are great. the resultant whole was or smail
energy when compared to the terrific power OF
the whole today. Thus while navy was ana
continues to be- go much stored up energy. the
amount is never constant. but subject TO per-
petual change while the methods Of obtaining
II vary with the progress OF invention and the
advancement of human knowledge. Deterlora-
tion for example. and the change In types grad
ually reduce the amount of energy available at
a given time unless constant accretion taxes
place by the construction Of new and improved
ships OF war But granting that navy repre-
sents Just 80 much crystallized energy. ana re-
ouires definite time for construction. skill and
money do we as Nation. need that strength?
1t has been not infrequently said that the
&c ctr
peaceful. that We should never be attacked from
without and certainly never attack a foreign
Power The falsity and crudeness OF this logic
are so ptifully evident as TO need no comment
1t may be accepted without reserve that no
people in the whole world are so remote or so
powerful that they will neither attack or be
attacked under some contingencies. Granting
such TO be the case. you say, Is there enough
likelihood that such contingencies will happen
10 make IL worth our while 10 take from the
economic development OF our country enough
capital TO build and maintain a fleet?
The contingencies which call for such crystal
lzed power are. and have been. clearly present.
ed TO Great Britain. for example. Her wide
spread empire may involve her in war at any
time and not 10 be prepared to utilize crystal
liked power at any moment would speedily en-
tail the dissolution Of that empire. OF recent
years the decrease Of agricultural products, and
the increase OF her population. have led TO the
possibility OF national starvation IN case the
contingency Of war should deprive her or 1orelgn
commerce. The realization Of that truth IS
responsible for the enormous increase IN the
crystallized energy at her command which can
be used to prevent at a given time Just such
q contingency. In our case 1t could not occur.
Perhaps not. Starvation could hardly ensue
from war; but there are other perils to be con-
atA ncf do
We as a Nation, have undertaken TO exclude
from the American continents all European COL
onization or spheres of influence" That Is
serious undertaking: Just how serious We do not
at present comprehend, but a consistent atti-
tude on this question must inevitably involve our
Nation in controversies which may become grave
in character Should we. however. decide TO
abandon the Monroe Doctrine, and adopt as
quescent a foreign policy as 1t is possible 10
edopt or confne our attention to inoffensive
Mexico there is no probability that our enter
prising fellow-oitizens would individually con-
fine their trade operations within our poroers.
going on would ere long compel us 10 assert
trade rights IN some quarter Of the globe foreign
policy foreign policy. The character or
our people has, indeed, greatly changed II they
will be content TO take the wall and br crowded
from the market by order Of foreign govern
ments. Indeed, one Of the most portentous signs
OF the times is the manner in which the organ
ization of Europe is getting under control the
greater portion Of the globe-and the END IS not
yet
There Is no possible escape from the conclu-
sion that either we have got to store up energy
in a form that can be utilized at the critical
moment or. when that moment comes. be un-
prepared to meet crystallzed energy with like
energy. and in consequence suffer the ineVltaDle
ruin which will logically ensue from an applica-
ton Of hostile energy where there is no corre-
spending force TO resist II.
There is no reason in the world why one OF
the component parts OF our stored-up energy
should not he coast defences Of the most for
midable character In fact there Is every rea-
son why there should be tust such part; but
tfya sum total Cf the whole energy which must
be applied, say. at Manila Bay. would be zero
~ made up Of coast defence alone. In fact, the
whole problem reduces itself to the simplest
Of questions-namely how much are you willing
70 pay? 49,
From those who love 10 tugele with fate. from
those who are utterly indifferent. and from
those whom the gods first make mad. there
comes one reply: hut from those who seek 70 lay
up against the dav ~ adversely. from those who
seek to maintain the safety welfare and prestige
az their country there Ia coming with Increasing
force the answer: Enough 70 make our Navy
ft,llv able TO on every sea with the enemies
~ the stars and Strines, NACTICUS.
Brooklyn. Nav 23. 1898.