The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-14
ENGLAND POW Err
I'm CHARLES DIXIE REVEALS
british IMP0TENcF.

-. EWneCN 10 " vi wv N
w..-Ar Arm, a. well ne = Navy ns Need
..,., Hrltrin May ne SUCCESSFULLY 1n-
U.,Lnes or the Present Militia
.-.--,c,us,, or the War Department.
.u. Fob Am England Is now con-
DS.a a, tvo things: First, that the defensive
HSS.oos NJ the empire are seriously detectives;
90 that both the naval and military forces
~. .onntry must speedily be put In instant
Mae for war. Even the Little Englanders
y. torced TO admit that only by putting the
and navy OF Great Britain upon n war
Til In the shortest possible time can 1t be
Enod N avert a war which will tax the utmost
'snroo, NJ the empire. Tho other alternative
tsIoh nobody dares suggest in the present state
,hs publlc tcmper-is that England should
Em,ly surrender the prestige and vast com
E,rcia, interests which she has long possessed
Asintic and other markets.
M. d.illuslon OF the British public is not con.
L. N the sudden realization OF the genuine
md imminence OF the danger which threat
Inotber popular idea, which has come to
.,rost n fetish in England, has also been
$1,000 This Is tho notion, almost universal
S,ss.o Islands until now. that an all-poworful
~, :, tho only essential prerequisite for Brit
- .rccess IN any struggle. It has been this
.,.s ,oItb in the navy which has made the
Nh, AZ largo almost Indifferent to the re-
~. .,nosures OF tho inefilciency and misman-
e".u,.rt NJ British military resources. Every.
- tnovs and mono better than Englishmen
-s..oI,., that Great Britain will mover purs
s.s.n aggressive or warlike policy toward any
-, mower or combination OF powers. 1t must
r., danger which threatens the vital interests
~ Tho empire that will induce England to draw
. defensive sword against n powerful asRressor.
mi. national determination not to fight unless
,,.ctic,lly forced to do SO accounts for the Idea
.h,t Il will be sufficient in such a war for
sro,snd merely TO defend herself and her pos
,,,sions against the aggressor. To do this and
"a dsc,de the issue, according to the natural
rorular Inference, IL Is only necessary that
Fnsland should DO omnipotent or nearly 90 upon
the sea.
Rut Il is almost an axiom of war that success
cannot 10 won by a merely defensive policy. A
rucoessful defence does not mean victory. 1t by
no means assures peace. A counter stroke 10
necessary In order to end any greet struggle of
nations and England is unable or unprepared at
this moment to deliver such q counter stroke
AGAINST any powerful antagonist who may chal-
lenRe her. It Is this fact, this vital, all.deciding
fact. which has been forced upon the attention
Of the English people this week In O remarkable
series OF articles by Sir Charles Dixie, whose au-
thority as an exponent Of the modern art Of wal
none will question. 1t 10 no exaggeration to say
that hs has startled and aroused the country by
his temperate yet alarming statement Of the sit-
uation. A successful defence Of the empire, he
points out, has perhaps been provided. but o
way OF making peace has not.
Tho luminous exposition Of the situation
which sir Charles has made Is not confined to o
mere argument In favor of increasing the Brit
ish Army in numbers and equipment. It COM
prises 0 clear view of the tremendous crisis
which Europe is now facing. and q statement OF
broad military principles as striking in Its way
as was Capt. Mahan's revelation of the impor-
lance Of sea power. And in order to reach the
largest public Sir Charles wisely addressed
his discussion OF the subject to the Daily Mail.
Advocates Of disarmament and arbitration all
the world over will DO interested in Sir Charles's
brief preliminary remarks on this topic. They
come from q man who IL not only one Of tho
ablest statesmen Of the day but IN above all in
tsnsely practical. He says:
Some people think that II our navy IL strong
enough we need NO army at all. Other people
'A"h 'n"' uie"ini@ineh' may 10 cerrioo ous oS
sAanuer''anaing among All powers. otners.
A'n Aio VI opini'n tha' @rpitre1oh Id . UNI
's,sal paheeea.
As ior efoitration. MT. Frederic Harrison
nas p0in.oa Out tnat' IN tne case OF az unpopular
" \ ourselves, WIN enormous interests
M,,s npa.as tue eiooe bringing US INTO conhlos
y o'nsr power the enect Of setting up
stOi'iA'on as q principle might DO to increase
h
pressure upon u.s. py oomeination OF
$50 p'"er,' 70 squeeze US OUT OF VITAL
" 'e.1S unuet pleasant forms rather b
- "m u oo"nriRht threat. Ii we
St'i'rs1o on everything We anal
49, v,nou upon 70 afoltrate on matters
"~Ua "o Sha1 mink or which will DO absolute
. ,lIAi .oour existence or our honor. or. at least,
- s0u,,sspect a. great nation. The pointat
= wan WILL probably DO reached more rapidly
sI an u would 30 under present circumstance.
-, u most marked case In history of the piling
" Single power was In the case Of o great
~. "n,eu mac, a. We have. interfered In all
IL "orid' ana incurred. as We have.
Ereas unpopularity. Louis XIV, Just before
:, treaty OF Utrecht, was in our position, and If
kohe 70 arbitration would have suffered
ars saan NJ aia oy holding on.
undoubtedly We arc able to disarm. We arc
10y, naval powers, and we can stop build
.us Win the probability that other powers will,
~ tbuJ GXIenI III HA dn M aAI.-A aLI