The times., 1898-07-30
A BRITISH cous1NLY VIEW.
FlatterinE Opinion of Our Naval
Progress md Power

ProEress and Power.
Our relations with Germany are natu-
rally being discussed with a great deal of
interest in England and most of the
'opinions of the English press are very
pleasant to read The London Saturday
Review said in a recent editorial, or lead
Ing article, as they say on that side of
the water:
American has already annexed Hawaii.
She will certainly take Cuba and Porto
Rico as well, and, If the Spaniards do
not make it up with her quickly, the
Philippines and the Canaries to boot.
Those who think America will be re-
strained by German bluff or by Franco
Russian menace do not understand her
or her people. The seamen on the Ger
man ships, it appears. are fraternizing
with the Spaniards in Manila. And it
may well be nhat William the Wltless
takes 1t for granted that he can curb
Americas onward progress when he
pleases, or at least share in the booty
her arms may win. But the war lord is
mistaken in this assumption. The Ameri-
cans are not people that can be bullied,
and the slightest attempt on his part 10
bully them would result in a war which
would quickly enlighten him as to the
limits of German power.
In spite of the German superiority in
battieships, Ii is oGr settled belief that the
navy or America, even as il is at present,
Is strong enough TO beat the navy of the
Kaiser. For the Germans are neither
sailors nor gunners. while the Americans
have proved themselves to be both. We
believe that the Americans would win
from the beginning, but even if supe-
riority in material did give the Germans
victory or two in the beginning. the
end in any case would be certain.
America can build ships faster and
better than Germany, and in such war
she would put forth her utmost strength.
Besides, America has a large mercantile
marine. and thousands of hardy, able
seamen that most people know nothing
about. 1t would surprise a good many
Europeans to learn that the shipping that
passes through a canal connecting two
of the greater North American lakes is
considerably larger than all the shipping
that passes through tie Suez Canal.
America. we say. has tens of thousands
of ilrst-rate seamen. where there are hun
dreds OF men serving at present on board
German warships who never saw the sea
)
trade Is the most difficult trade in the
world to master.
For these and other reasons we believe
that America will not be stopped in heI
imperial progress by German bluff OF
daunted by Franco Russian menace. We
should not even now be afraid of he issue
OF conflict between the United States
navy and that OF France, for the Ameri
can superiority as gunners would Civ,
~
a confiic, we should probably take hanC
and probability would change 10 certainty
If Russia dared to support her ally. Tht
truth Is that new power OF the frs
rank has pushed itself among the nations
and our hopes that there was at leas
one people who preferred peace to powe
and security to se,f-aggrandizemen have
| been disappointed.
Now, how will the advent of this new
power affect the European equilibrium
Even If we do not take at the foot 81
the letter that newborn affection which
/ the Americans now profess for us. il
seems 10 be plain enough that.the clrcum
| stances which have brought about this
| reconciliation between the two kindred
! peoples will go on making for closer
! and ever closer union between Great Brit
! ain and the United States. After all. we
| have the same blood, the same religion
|
| cratic government, the same language
| and the same tastes We both love trad;
| and commerce and a working mixture o.
freedom and equality before the law Il
which no other people has attained. From
the selfish British point of view, then, w
| hope that the Americans will take botl
the sCanaries and the Philippines and i
they wished (Which is unlikely fer por
on the coast of China besides, they shoult
| have cur help IN getting it.
The weary Titan that Matthew Ar
nod spoke of, with every muscle straine
by the weight of empire, challenged o
this side and on that by new competitors
menaced now and then by a combinatio
of envious enemies. suddenly finds stand
ing by his side a stalwart son, wht
though he has -his own place in the worl
and his own ambitions. yet seems incline
to say that the old Titan shall alway
have at least fair field. and. perhap:
if the worst comes to the worst. some Iii
tie favor. And that Is the way We Briton
feel about America.
This fact that the two nations whic
stood against each other at the beginnin
of the nineteenth century now stand tC
gether as friends, if not allies. viii prot
ably turn out to be the most importar
fact in the history of the twentieth Ger
tury.