The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-03-12
CAPIAIN MAHAN

conuidsrs the Acquisition Of Points
Of vantage IN the Caribbean Sea Of
Rqual Importance with ths 18th
mian Canal In Order to Protect
Commerce PasSing Through the
Waterway.
NEW YORK. March lin a paper
on '.The Monroe Doctrine and Our
Navy which he has written for the
forthcoming issue Of Leslie's Weekly,
Captain A. T. Mahan says:
''rhe settlement and growth Of our
Pacific coast, the increasing commercial
consequences Of tine Pacific coast and
the questions arising about China, itS
future government and It's trade, make
It necessary to connect our Atlantic and
Gulf seaboard with the Pacific by a
canal across the Central American 18TH
which may serve as statinoS for navy
water communication between the two,
as wen as shortening the access from
our western shores to Asia The isth-
mus and It's Immediate surroundings
thus become the greatest Of our exter-
mai interests. Scarcely secondary to
them is the Caribbean sea, because all
sea routes to the isthmus run through
II, and It contains many strong POSI-
ttons, the acquisition OF which by q
formidable European state would in
war endanger our shipping, mercantile
and naval alike, passing between our
Atlantic ports and the Pacific by the
canal.
eve must remember that other ma
tions, and especially European-because
the most active-are Interested likewise
In using that canal, and, for the sup
port Of their interests, in gaining posi-
lions. To their doing SO we oppose the
Monroe doctrine. Therefore, II we In
tend to make good the affirmatlons Of
the latter, we must be prepared to re-
sIst forcibIy II need be. any attempt to
obtain adjacent territory or ports
mus and bring thereby consecutive
hostile to ourselves. It is natural that
European nations should wish such
positions: that Germany, for instance,
as has been lately rumored, should wish
the Danish isIands-st. Thomas, etc.
Her right to buy them Is as sood In In
transitional law as ours; the Monroe
doctrine depends not upon legal right,
but upon the moral right of our indls-
pensable interests, and derives its chief
support from the fact that It is not
worth while to incur our enmity, push
ed perhaps to the extent OF war:
Now, the one preparation for war, in
a maritime region like the Caribbean,
is a navy large enough to be effective.
Ports are quite secundary-they are
necessary 20 navy which needs a local
base Of operations; but they are useless
without 1t, especially in the Caribbean.
because conditions there are so back
ward as to give no local resources.
Positions held there not only must be
fortified, but everything to support
shipping must be imported,and steady
stream Of supply maintained. This can
only be done by the navy keeping the
sea open, which at the same time se-
cures our other merchant shipping.
"To do these things, which is called
controlling the sea, the navy should,
strictly, be superior to any which can
be brought against it; but this extreme
conclusion is qualified by other cIrcum-
stances. such as our nearness to the
Caribbean sea, our national power
through our great resources, the dam
gers to which our possible opponents
may be exposed in other quarters and
from other enemies. We cannot in the
near future expect to have navy near
iy as large as that which Great Britain
must keep, but 1t Is easily within our
means to rival that Of France or Of
Germany, the only European states.
other than Great Britain, whose general
interests might lead them actively to
dispute the maintenance Of the. Monroe
doctrine.
'RehectIon upon this condition viii
indicate That size necessary to our own
war fleet, and also the wisdom Of culti-
waiting those cordial relations to which
Great Britain has invited us. which our
interests and our institutions advise and
the existence Of which VIII put 1t out
Of the power or wish OF any other state
to quarrel with us about the Monroe
doctrine. Ii is to the interest Of Great
Britain that we should take naval
charge Of the American Isthmus, pro-
vlded, she can feel sure that we will
do 1t effectively; that our preparations
and opr deeds win answer to the words
Of Washington and Monroe"
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