The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-17
LEADING MEN PLAN A FAST
OCEAN LINER SERVICE TO
LIVERPOOL
PROJECT is TO HEAD OFF
ANNEXATION DISCUSSION
II Is Reasoned That If the Bulk of
British Commerce Can Be Diverted
Over the Northern Route the Kings
Great Navy Can Afford 1t Better
Protection.
Special to the Globe

HALIFAX, aug. 16.-Capt1OuS critics
to the contrary almost everybody here
who is in touch with affairs feels that
the establishment of fast ocean liner
service between here and Liverpool is
certainly a matter of fact.
The project is one which would be
to the best interests of Canada and
would postpone indefinitely any idea
of annexation to the United States
which may have been existing in some
quarters of the Dominion.
But the most important of the bene-
fits to be derived from such a plan
would not be the immediate CONNER
c1al results necessary to sustain the
service from a financial point of view
but the enormous Importance to the
safety OF British transatlantic shipping
which would inure from the use of
this route in view of the formation of
Britain'S new naval base at Marquise.
The gradual conversion of Marquise
into great naval stronghold has been
commenced and soon will be we'll I'M
der way. The place is to become the
rendezvous of a large British squad
ron, for the maintenance of which the
In perial Federation plans provide lib
orally. Machine shops are to be built
at Marquise to supplement those at
St Johns and considerable garrison
is to be provided. Marquise will be
made second Halifax and in addition
to the arrangements stated, there is to
be a craving dock built for the repair
OF warshipS and necessarily there will
be large force of artificers stationed
there.
Marquise as Coaing Station.
More important than all perhaps,
will be the utilization of MarQuise as
a coaling station. Halifax has been,
so far, the only available all year
around port for this important naval
supply on the seabard, as Sydney
where the coal is mined, is locked up
by ice during the winter months.
Marquise is situated on a beautiful
haven which forms part of Plaeentia
Sound. 1t is a naturally impregnable
fortress, being enclosed among beetling
hills which rise steeply on every side
While inside the haven there is am
pie room for a large fleet and for the
merchant marine seeking protection,
1t can be reached only by a narrow
channel, which could be easily defend
ed against hostile cruisers by a sub
marine torpedo scheme.
MarqulSe will be converted into a ma
val stronghold second only to Halifax.
Another factor in its strategic import
anCe is that while being near to the
banks of Newfoundland it lies almost
on the railway line connecting with
every part of the island.
Placentia Bay, opening out onto the
Grand banks of Newfoundland, leads
directly into the North Atlantic 1t
will be easily seen that a SQUADRON
stationed there could dominate very
large sweep of ocean and would be
able to control the Water-born COM
merce of Canada by way of the st.
Lawrence westward as we'll as east
ward. The plan is to place Great
Britain in a position to virtually police
the North Atlantic ocean in the inter-
eSts of British commerce. By this ar
rangement the shipping near the Brit
1sh coast would be given at least two
days protection by the vessels scout
ing off Lands End, while the patrol
operating off Cape Race could guar
antee two days more of safety and in
addition turn freighters over to Hall
fax for safe convoy coastwise thence.
Less Than Thousand Miles.
This would leave less than thous-
and miles in midocean to be covered
between the two shores and big cruis-
ers would be able to practically guar
antee safety over this distance
According to present arrangements
one or two hostile cruisers laying off
the coast of Newfoundland could tie
up the entire shipping of the Dominion
while other cruisers could harass the
the British mercantile marine crossing
the Atlantic indefinitely
The strategic points to be gained
by the British government through the
OulIOlnS OF a canadian Pacific line of
fast steamers would therefore appear
to be of vital Importance in case she
intends holding her world wide do
m1nion, stand which is demanded of
her by her scattered colonies.
OF course, an Anglo American alli-
ance would have gone far toward pre-
venting the necessity of such precau-
lions as Great Britain is taking, but
political treaty of an offensive and
defensive nature between the two coun-
tries would not be possible even were
1t polite from the viewpoint of either
The possession of strategic, al
though undeveloped, naval base on this
continent by France, has never been
lost sight of by Great Britain. France
alone has seemed to be supine as to
these advantages, however, although
when the work on Placentia sound was
commenced by the British authorities,
the commander on the French flagship
on the North American station visited
Marqu1se and made some careful notes
OF his observations for transmission to
his government The officers made very
close and careful soundings in the har-
Dor, but all since done has been the
drilling of the adult males at ST.
Pierre, and the accumulation of many
military munitions there in case of an
outbreak with the hereditary foe. What
use such meager equipment would
be against the forces which Great Brit
ain would be able to bring to bear in
case Of a disagreeable contingency.
however, does not seem apparent.
The naval reserve movement started
by the British in Newfoundland is a
vastly different matter. Several
thousand sturdy fisher youths who will
make splendid addition to the en-