New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-26
AMERICAN SEA pow tk
CAPTAIN MAIAN on THE NECESSITY f'"
ITS pEVELOPMI,NT.

THE INTEREST OF AMERICA II SEA IoWE!F
PRESENT MD FITT RI. ~ , ssil''I;..s" Saw
Mahan. -. &. l.. III. u. lnitru S'al.S - -,
octave. PIP. Vi. 81. Boston: Little of0"" y -
When the first Of the eight fugitive essays coll
lccted in this book was printed in 1870. puo"'
opinion was coluc,tidG more or less earn ,
with the question IF naval strength III It's r'I'
tion to territorial expansion. Now tn war oe
tween Spain and the United States Win "S
revelation Of the extent Of our resp 'nslh!!i''''
at home and its creation Of Now Obligations i''
from our shores has made tn development Oh
cur sea power 4 vital topic. In the mean '''''
CAPTAIN Mahan's ideas have not become "'''-
quat,d We have not outgrown them. oh III.
contrary. they fail in with the very spirit oil '"'
hour. and arguments advanced III almost "''
d, mic MOOD SO inert seemed tn feeling as''"'
which they were arrayed have no" '"'''' '
into The common talk of the day. 50 tha' '"''
seem almost like prophecies fulfilled WIN 'u
dealing In a purely professional manner WIN
naval matters our authors handing Oh '"'"
necessarily reveals the special knowledge "'h''
is best calculated To- Tighten counsel. II" 'lu''
dates and fortiics the position VIM lay '"''
as well as naval specialists must ho'd H.
temperate and reasonable in tone. as ne mas
been in all the writings which have made MS
reputation He projects an abundance oi com
mons, nse into a discussion wherein common
sersc is sor-y needed.
! W. r,cogniz, Captain Mahan's good judgment
especially in his treatment ~ the point IRON
" hich indeed. all consideration 81 naval plans
! IS bound t. start f. e.. our nominal insuiarn\
lie nods that it Is purcl, nominal. for he s'r'
that international con- pl.oafious aye forced upon
Us not only 10y tn proximity II pn' i'irigl
Power or another IN an island II tn 'hii'p-'I
or els. whore near this continent. but by thu gen
cral trend Of civilization. which may Dee aiH
Do largely indcpcudcnt II g-osraphl Al c'ni
tons This is fact that is constantly OYER
/ looked 1t is forgotten that with the tremcndou.
increase II sea traffic the seas themselves gro"
fguratiycly smaller every year and tn" inimac,
| between the Powers. for good Or for bad. gro"
/ closer and closer. We are rich. We are powerful
we are almost If not quite Isolated runs tn
I familiar argument Why should IT De- necessary
and how would il hc pussib." for any ali"i
Power to disturb our uauluilhty' icriifans ID
this view IF the sitult.on uot only regard D., a
final bat denDua a. Jiueo.sm any acceptanD
OF Internal I.nal right. and duties h,y md thos
inherent in tn usual aWi..t..r inte'tfufs" 1.
tween nations Captain Mahan .rpts 'hrs
: rights ana duties. ana l. is d. J.rro H." dpr
not long for them Ifr does u0' a-ui them g.
he created overnight Hut he knows chat % &c.
J gard tAom as ufterll impossible aul .rfri"t an'
O think .f ia. United States ar D. l'l.'f sd I'D
is never going 90 ha,, ANYTHING hIt a. conn
inrr. .a and intellectual interest in the 1904.
4 th" world 70, Largo I- m.rrlt hmrr,a' Tl
burdens of the time arr distributed according t
natural Jaws. and To- sa, 81 thr Power Nhir
base. r- action .u "A belief .r this f'et that