The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-03
,.r..,. W. need and mus, have a larger

terests we need and must ave a larger
and more powerful navy. but IL does
not necessarily follow that we must
build one equal to Engiand's. Had we
twenty battieships. there In not q ma
| ton Of Europe with the exception OF
| England which could srare the neces-
sary twenty-five to send against them.
A powerful we'll organized navy would
be a peace argument which would be
, readily understood and respected.
Captain Mahan calls attention to the
I fact that the United States no longer
occupies the position of proud isolation
which was a correlative Of the early ana
traditional policy OF non-entanglement
with the affairs of other nations. In
spite Of our traditions. the United
States has adopted a foreign policy. the
Monroe doctrine. which. unrecognized
by international law. is openly rejected
and denounced by most Of h nations
OF Europe and Is unaccepted by nearly
all the rest. A policy so at variance
with the rest of the world Is effective
so long only as II can be enforced by a
powerful navy. A weak. u~norganized
navy for defense purposes only makes
the Monroe doctrine merely an ex-
pressed desire. practically a dead let
ter. to be treated as 1t suits the inter
ests Of more powerful nations.
Attention is called by Captain Mahan
to the policy of oloni and CONNER
ciaI expansion which is the keynote
of the political situation In France n
Germany. Both nations are hurrying
along the path which has made Eng
land great and prosperous and de-
Iivered into her hands the lions share
Of the of the world. Ger
many in particular has east covetous
eyes on strategic positions along the
great lines OF commerce. including
Hayti and Curacao. In south America,
Germany has planted large and grow
ing colonies which. as In southern
| Brazil. are anxious for absorption into
the mother country. Should the Ions
urged movement for the annexation OF
Holland TO Germany be brought about
| Curacao would pass under the German
flag and the empire would secure a
nosition of commanding Importance in
| the Caribbean near the proposed inter-
| oceanic canals. 1t goes without saying
that the United States never would
| consent to the execution of Germanys
ayowed programme without a struggle
a struggle which. with a navy for de-
Tense only. would possibly result in a
loss of American prestige. IL nothing
worse. while a powerful navy ready Tor
aggressive action would make Ger
many hesitate IL II did not stop her
in the execution of her American
c~olonial plans. The question which
confronts America is-a powerful navy
or the %abrogation Of the Monroe doc
trine. Force, and force alone, can com
mand recognition for a policy which IL
extremely unpalatable TO the nations o'
Europe.
CAPTAIN Mahan finishes his list o.
fallacles By showing that modern ship
Of war do not get obsolete until Their
Is no fighting chance left for them. Al
Illustration of Captain Mahan's posi-
ton is found I'm the use of the old NOM
tors for harbor defense purposes afte'
being ftteu with modern guns. The
great anxiety is not that vessels vii
become obsolete but that We viii have
enough warships TO form a navy 81
powerful I'm potential aggression AM
destructiveness that's it's mere existenc'
will command and exact peace.