The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-01-19
Review of q Noble Book.


In recent issue of the New York
Sun Theodore Roosevelt reviewed, in
an exceedingly forcible way, Captain
Mahan's new book, The Interest of
America in Sea Power, Present and
Future" What Captain Mahan writes,
and what Mr.. Roosevelt says in sup
port of Captain Mahan's views on the
subjects of his writing, constitute a
very wholesome and invigorating tonic
for public mind drugged by the
treatment of political empires, de-
ceived and misled by men of limited
vision or the opponents of narrow
and selfish national policy.
In view of events that are transpir-
ing in Europe and in the far East, Mr..
Roosevelt thinks sit is time for Amer
lea to realize that in the future, like
other nations, she will have to solve
problems that are presented from with
out, no less than those presented from
within, her own borders" Long be-
fore the chain of important events be-
ginning with the submission of the
Hawaiian treaty of annexation to the
Senate by President Harrison in 1898,
of which the Venezuela idcident and
the proposed purchase of Denmark's
possession in the We Indies are links,
when the building of the new navy
had only been begun and a scheme of
coast defenses was being thought out,
Captain Mahan foreshadowed, in the
following words, this nations needs
from military point of view:
Three things are needful; First protec-
ton Of the chief hsrbors, by Notifications
and coastd defence ships, which gives defen-
sive strength, provides security to the COM
munity within, and supplies the bases nee
essary to all military operations. Secondly,
naval force, the arm of offensive power,
which alone enables country to extend its
influence outward. Thirdly, it should be
an inviolable resolution of our national pol
icy that no foreign State should henceforth
acquire a coaling position within three
thousand miles of San Francisco-a dis
tance which includes the Hawaiian and
Galapagos islands and the coast OF Central
America. For fuel is the life of modern ma
val war; it is the food of the ship; without
it the modern monsters OF the deep die ef
inanition, Around it, therefore, cluster
some Of the most important considerations
Of naval strategy. In the Caribbean and in
the Atlantic we are confronted with many
foreign coal depot, bidding us stand to
our arms, even as Carthage babe Rome
but let us not acquiesce in an addition to
our dangers, further diversion of our
strength, by being forestalled in the North
Pacific.
Commenting on this statement of the
needs of the United States Mr.. Roose-
welt says:
The needs of this country, in order to
maintain its proper position In the face OF
the nations Of the Old World-the armed
powers not only Of Europe but even OF the
new Asia Of to-dsy-were never set forth
more clearly; and they can with advantage
be pondered by those men who, whether
from shortsightedness or timidity, fail to
grasp the fact that the refusal to look dam
ger in the face does not do away with the
danger, but merely prevents our making
ready to meet it.
The reviewer dwells at length on that
chapter of Captain Mahan's book in
which he deals with Preparedness
for Naval War" He shows that the
nation has little to fear on land, from
Canada or Mexico, but that hostile in
reference with our interests will come
by sea, and on the sea we must be pre-
pared to meet attack. There must be
a navy ample in the number and class
of its vessels, from the torpedo boat to
the battleship, for attack or defense;
and there must be men, trained by long
practice at sea, for efficient naval SER
vice. 1t is too late to build navy and
man it with trained mariners after q
war has begun, particularly when an
enemy is fully prepared for aggression.
or familiar phase Of public opinion
respecting defensive protection Mr..
Roosevelt says:
Any man who studies the utterances OF
some of our leaders Of public opinion,
whether In the press or in our legislative