The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-10-10

n :. ssid q, washington that me ne.
val committees ~ both houses have mo-
tined Secretary Moody that congress
cannot b. depended on 90 authorize
new hattloships ut the coming scssion
This announcement naturally causes
dlsmny In the ranks ~ naval men aud
progressive statesmen who see in the
creation ~ great fleet the surcst
guarantee ~ peace II II undeniable
that the tendencies In Europe are to-
ward courses which would compel the
United states to take the defensive
Gradually but surely Europe-continen-
tai Europe. We should SAYS arriving
at concert Of action against what the
Kaiser has called the American ter
ror," meaning the menace of American
trade Besides this is "A growing atti-
,ude of hostility to the Monroe doc
trine. Europe feels that it ought to
have as fair "A chance to build uU loyal
colonies in Latin America as IT has in
Africa; and Germany, having organic
ed a branch OF the Fatherland In
Southern Brazil is not disposed TO ac-
cept an American limitation of Its
work in that quarter. If things Keep
on going this way abroad, the United
states will feel compelled to make a
showing of force. By being prepared
to prove its ability to protect its In
terests, the country may rest assured
that it will not be assailed; but If, when
an emergency comes, its representa-
ton on the sea is comparatively weak,
hostile powers may feel that the psy-
Geological moment has come to ram
their blows upon the nation whose
prosperity they envy and whose ambi-
tons they dread
Since the beginning of the Spanish
war this government has especially
tried to keep pace with the new Ger
man naval marine. SO far, things are
about even. But if Congress pauses
now, the time will soon come when our
naval rating will fall measurably be-
low the German, and this, in view OF
the facts given above and the addition
al one that our coast lines are INFINITE
" longer than those of Germany and
her possessions, would be a grave mat
ter. We must defend about 5000 miles
of Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coast,
cuba, Porto Rico, the canal entrances,
Hawaii, Guam, Tutuila and the Phil
ippines, and look after our sea-going
commerce besides. When it is remem-
bered that IL was all the North Atlantc
fleet could do in the recent maneuVers
to keen watch of the 100 miles of coast
comprising the area of the problem, the
inadeuuacy of our floating armament
is painfully apparent.
Speaking of German progress III
things maritime, we find that by l9oS
Germany will have afioat, in addition
to the present fleet, thirty modern bat
tleships, twenty large cruisers, forty
five small cruisers, and sixteen diVl-
sions of torpedo boats. Such fleet
would very much exceed our own. as
the latter stands now, and the greater
part of ii, owing to the short German
coast line, could take the offensive.
The reasons governing the naval
committees in their new departure are
not given, as yet, to the press. 1t may
b, the members feel that, between the
progress made in both aerial and sub
marine navigation, the efficiency OF the
battlcship is now in doubt. If that Is
true the people have the right to expect
from Congress a very liberal provision
for more boats of the Holland type and
for experiments with dirigible balloons.
But it is strongly to be hoped that the
naval committees have not reached the
conclusion, as they did year before
the Spanish war, that this country
is adequately defended on the sea.