Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-29
If America is to bea Factor
in Oriental Trade.
MUST INCREASE NAVY
Views of a Naval Officer Who Has
Seen Long Service-The Proposed
Isthmian Canal Will Prove Of the
Greatest Benefit.

New York, Jan. 29.-''The command Of
the sea on our Pacific coasts should be in
our hands in peace and in war time. This
can only be effected by readiness. of a
proper and sufficient naval force either
on the spot or to be from the Atlantic by
an untramneled canal. ~Inuaddition to
his and ready for combining, should be
the available forces normally attached to
the Philippines and the waters of China,
Japan and Korea. In other words. the Pa
citic ocean from Samoa northward should
be within our CONTROL"
These observations We're made by Capt.
&. H. Stockton, president of the naval
war college. in an article in the proceed
ings of the naval institute dealing with
the commercial, naval and political cOndi-
tons of an inter-oceanic canal across the
Central American sthmus. Referring to
the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, Capt. Stock
ton
1T is safe to say that it is practically
the opinion Of all Americans that this
treaty should either be abrogated or very
materially modified. The change of con-
ditions since the signing of this treaty.
due to Ou West Indian acquisitions and
more especially to the great developments
OF our Pacific coast inc territory. should
cause Great Britain also to see the desira-
bility, If not the necessity of this action.
1.-THE proposition for a canal exclusively
owned and controlled by the United
States in war and peace means the
direct or indirect purchase or construc-
ton of he canal by the government of
the United States. In time of war it
would need a navy of sufficient size and
strength to maintain the canal open
against an exterior attack from any pow
er or alliance of powers with the force
they can spare from European waters.
SVT1,n R~ct thirr THAI s%~.uA -
connection with the canal and the naval
profession is the necessity for a strong
naval force for the United States. Sep
arated, as the nj and it's Immediately
adjacent territory is. from the territory
of the United States by Mexico. the APP
proaches to the canal require nava pro-
| lection in order to give us the status here
that Great Britain enjoys at Suez. Moth
ing would cOnduce more to the safety and
protection of these canals inc the bene-
fcent flow Of commerce therein than the
control Of the SueZ canal by Great Brit
ain and the central Of the American canal
by the United States.
"It has been said that the changes
forced upon us by the canal will be so
great that it would be better for us If
no canal were to be built. I don't believe
it to be so, but it does not matter-the
canal is inevitable and it's ~eventua open
ing is but a question of time.
In connection with h construction OF
the canal, Captain Stockton reviews the
naval situation in the Pacific.
"a predominance, both maritime and
naval in the north Pacific ocean," he de-
clares, "is an essential matter for the
United States in regard to the oceanic
canal. AS the want Of such naval pre-
dominance in the Caribbean would deny
US access to the canal on that side in wal
time, so a similar want of predominance
in the Pacific will prevent our ships gain
ing access to the canal from those waters
The maritime predominance in the north
Pacific, though contested, is still ours and
to his should be added the naval pre-.
dominance which, if it does not precede
the maritime predominance, should a1
least accompany it,"