Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-13
Our Coast and Our Commerce.

Our Coast and Our Commerce.
Those who fear that in case of war
our coast would be ravaged and our
shipping haracsed by Spanish ships are
dorr. much unnecessary worrying
There is very much more danger of a
tidal wave or an earthquake destroy
ing orr searorts and our merchant
ships than there is of injury at the
hands or Spain. Much lrvcath and
printers ink have been wasted over the
improbable suppostion that Spanish
gun; would lombard our cities, or that
a Spanish feet might summer at Bos-
ten or Portland or Bar Harbor. This
feeling has caused great expense. in
terrupted trade and given the public a
lot of senseless uneasiness.
In war With this country Spain
would have to bend all her energies 70
keeping control of CuDa and Porto
Rico. With these islands captured CT
effectively blcckaded as they very soon
would be. SPANS nearest base OF sup
plies would be over 5000 miles away
and without a coaling station her fleet
would soon become a collection of help
this side Of the Atlantic Spain's cause
would quickly he Il hopeless ona. There
is no Atlantic port not now well pro-
tected against foreign fleet, and it $
giving Spain credit for absurd foolish
ness to think she would send her ships
ND our coast and abandon her own har-
bors upon whose possession her only
hopes would hinge. Concentration
would be the inevitable policy of Spain.
and her fleet could not afford to bother
our coast until it had disposed OF the
American navy rather larger task
than Spain is capable of accomplishing.
Coal is tie all important factor in
modern naval warfare. and Spain has
far too few ships to protect her own
coaling stations and at the same time
try to invade our harhors or devastate
our coast The coast of New England
and the whole Atlantic coast are amply
protected by the presence of the Ameri-
can fleet in Gulf waters.
AS to Spanish privateers capturing
our merchant vessels and injurinS our
commerce. this is much like the phan-
tom of Spanish warships Smelling our
coast towns which some active imagi-
nations have conjured up 1t is a grim
satisfaction at this time to know that
only little over one-tenth CT our inn
ports and exports 10y water are carried
in American ships. and the Spanish
could not afford to make the mistake of
'hotherirg neutral flags. Five-siXths Of
of cur tonnage is engaged in domestic
trade which could be carried on for the
most part by land. so that Spanish
privateers could not cause a very for
bic interruption of cur trade.
Privateering, moreover, is a game 1t
which two can play. and while the
ships and cargoes sailing under the
American flag are more numerous and
more vaIua BILE than those carrying the
Spanish flag, there are a goodly num-
Der of Spanish merchantmen afloat
The New York Commercial prints a list
of 1S1 Spanish ships. giving their names,
ports and present location, and ac-
companies the list with this comment:
But Spain also has vessels carrying
commerce beneath her flag. Her mer-
chantmen sail the high seas and carry
cargoes, and these may become the
prey of this country in case of war
The Commercial presents to its readers
this morning a complete list of every
Spanish craft now on the water. While
it is not an unusually large one, it con-
tains a sufficient number to make it an
object CT study in case war should be
retaliate for any injury inflicted upon
American vessels. In the list will be
found large number of steamships.
In case these could be captured. they
could he turned to good advantage in
carrying on a conflict with the Span
iards"
by slip Of the pen doubtless, the