The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-10-09
A HALT IN NAVAL PLANS. =

It is said at Washington that the ma
val committees of both houses have no
titled Secretary Moody that Congress
cannot be depended on to authorize
new battleships at the coming session
This announcement naturally causes
dismay in the ranks of naval men anC
| progressive statesmen who see in the
/ creation of a great fleet the sures'
guarantee of peace 1t is 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 tine American ter
ror," meaning the menace Of American
trade. Besides this is a growing atti-
tude of hostility to the Monroe doc
trine Europe feels that it ought to
have as fair a chance to build up loyal
colonies in Latin America as it has in
Africa; and Germany. having organic
ed 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
Ierests, the country may rest assured
that it viii not be assailed; but if, when
ton on the sea is comparatively weak,
hostile powers may feel that the psy-
Geological moment has come to rain
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
ly longer than those of Germany and
her possessions would be grave mat
ter. We must defend about 5000 miles
of Atlantic. Gulf and Pacific coast, !
Cuba, Porto Rico, the canal entrances, |
lppines, and look after our sea-going !
commerce besides. When it is remem- !
bered that it was all the North Atlantic |
fleet could do in the recent maneuvers !
g keep watch of the 100 miles of coast
the area of the problem the
nadequacy of our floating armament
s painfully apparent.
Speaking of German progress in
Kings maritime, we find that by 1908
Germany will have afioat, in addition
o the present fleet, thirty modern bat
leships, twenty large cruisers, forty
i've small cruisers, and sixteen divi-
'ions of torpedo boats. Such a fleet
would very much exceed our own, as
ne latter stands now, and the greater
,art of it, owing to the short German
coast line, could take the offensive.
The reasons governing the naval
in their new departure are
lot given, as yet, to the press. 1t may
,e the members feel that, between the
progress made in both aerial and sub
marine navigation, the efficiency of the
is now in doubt. If that is
rue the people have the right to expect
rom Congress a very liberal provision
or more boats of the Holland type and
or experiments with dirigible balloons
3ut it is strongly to be hoped that the
laval committees have not reached the
as they did a year before
he Spanish war, that this country
S adequately defended on the sea.