New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-03
Of buildings would certainly destroy II, and re-
suit as unfortunately ms haphazard reconstruct
BRITAIN'S AUXILIARY NAVY.

Whether the British Government has really
called for its naval reserves and for some Of
the ships Of Its auxiliary navy does not mp
pear Reports vary In statement At present
II seems probable that such step has not yet
been taken Nevertheless the suggestion is In.
evitable that It might be taken at any time
when Il was deemed necessary with tremendous
effect The predominance OF the British I'M
perial Navy over that Of any other land Is
scarcely more marked than the superiority OF
her fleet Of merchantmen, which are not only
fitted for naval auxiliary use. but are actually
designated and Mt all times held In readiness
for 1t under n contract with the Government
The six Cunarders and five White Star ships
thus controlled are familiar to NEWCOMERS as
among the finest Of all the ships that have ever
visited this port The three "Empresses" OF
the Canadian Pacific Railroad Company's line
are in the same category. So are no less than
fourteen Of the F. and o. ships. The total Is
therefore a fleet of twenty eight ships, with an
aggregate tonnage Of 1S5,995 and an aggregate
indicated horsepower Of 27100O. The value
Of such n feet IN time Of war Is beyond all
computation.
Not even those pure philanthropists who deem
defenceessness the surest source Of safety, and
VINO LOOK upon IL WuTSlllp iS III cHtioh vi tc
devil, can object to the existence Of such fleet
rs this, since its ordinary occupation Is entirely
pacific. and It may never have any other 1t
will be an inoffensve quest, therefore. to dis
cover the means by which it has been secured
and by which 1t is maintained Nor will 1t be
difficult In the first place, It is to be observed
that no less than eleven Of the ships, the best
Of them, are regularly subsidized by the Brit
xt,;- and cxo
purpose A truly horrible thing a subsidy no
donbt At least so the true Cobdenite assures
us whenever such a thing is suggested for the
announcement Of American shipping or indus
try of any kind Yet the only Cobdcnic Gov
eminent on earth Is largely guilty of 1t, In this
"full MONDAY of the Cobdenic gospel Next 1t
is to be recalled that the whole British ship
ping industry was built up under n strenuous
system of protection, the "Chinese WALL being
much higher and stronger than any the hot
test gospellcr of Cobdenism has ever charged
against "McKinleylsm." And, finally, the ser
vice is maintained by systematic and persist
ent discrimination In its favor to an extent no
American Protectionist ever ventured to pro-
pose. What would be said If the American
Government regularly ordered the most impor-
tant transatlantic mails to be sent in slow
American SHIPS WHeu IHucu IdStti i'iitioH w
German ships were sailing at the same time
and would carry them just as cheaply? Yet
that is exactly what the British Government
has done for years
The United States is building fine navy. 1t
is proceeding with that task more rapidly than
any other ration excepting Great Britain and
Japan. But It's mercantile marine is not keep
ing pace with It. Any nation can create navy
If 1t have money enough to pay for it. But
something more than money Is needed for the
creation and maintenance Of such a merchant
feet as that which Great Britain now rejoices
in and which Is so valuable an adjunct TO her
war navy That something is definite and
favorlng Government policy and maritime
spirit among the people. The former must pre-
cede the latter, as 1t did in England ages ago.
And given the former, the latter will not be
lacking Nothing is more illogical and unjust
than to charge the American people with in
feriOrity in maritime enterprise TO Great Brit
ain and Japan while the aids that those nations
have are withheld from them. Give them an
equal chance with any other nation and they
will unfailingly show al least equal results.