The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-09-20

Hostile Vigilance Toward the Lens
and Complacent liberation Toward
the Building Of Torpedo Boats for
the japanese.

II the New York World be well adj
vised In the statement made In IL,
issue Of the 18th instant-that the Fore
River Iron Works, at Quincy Point,
near Boston are building a feet az
submarine torpedo boats for Japan
the fact will inject a certain gayety
in,o the huilabaloo that has been rats.
ed over the presence in San Francisco
harbor OF the Russian auxiliary cruis-
er ena
OF curse we and no merriment in
the circumstance Itself. The so-calIsd
cruiser. which seems TO be not a ss-
rious engine of wal. but rather a COM
blnatioa Of dispatch boat and trans
port. Is unfortunate. indeed. IL as we
are now told. she has entered the Cal
ifornia port expecting friendship or
even common charity IN her distress.
Outside of England. she could have
found in no part OF the world less SYM
pathy. SO far as the government -
concerned. The gayety referred - Is
suggested by the contrast between Il
hostile vigilance In the case Of the
Russian vessel Lena and the compia-
cent liberation with which the col
~structiou Of Japanese war vessels f.
the Massachusetts, navy ward has been
winked at.
Supposing The Worlds story to b.
true at all points. and we have no rea-
son e doubt IL. the construction OF
these submarine torpedo boats Tor ia
pan is. in every moral sense. 4 far
greater violation OF the laws OF neu-
trality than would be the ~harboring
OF the Russian dispatch boat while she
made repairs, necessary to the safety
Of her crew. In one case we connive
at the preparation of machinery for
wholesale massacre and devastation.
In the other case We consent 10 an
act Of the simplest and most obvious
humanity. The torpedo boats building
on the New England coast are intend
ed to destroy warships. together with
the thousands OF men who constitute
their population. The Proposed repair
of the Lena are calculated to protect.
perhaps save the lives OF all on board.
OF course IL may be shown that Their.
vas no technical violation OF neutral
ity in the commercial performance al
the Fore River yard. We are in that
instance, thriftily improving an oppor
tunity OF trade We are not supposed
to know what the japanese will ID
with the boats when the manufacturers
turn them over TO the purchaser. They
trary. merely interesting scientific
toys for the instruction and entertain
ment or the progressive Japanese.
the boats are to be shipped in sec
tons, n will not leave our port In
lighting shape. We can look the other
way after h detached pieces OF the
puzzle have been delivered TO Japan,
and pocket the proceeds of the trans.
action with our own entire approval.
We Were made familiar with that piocs
attitude during the British war against
the south African republics, when our
traffic in mules and horses-and Der
haps other things-ran 90 merriIy
along.
Nevertheless, the contrast stands.
and. while it may present a sad aspect
TO the Russians. IL must inevitably
emphasize the comic opera fuss our
government is making over a crippled
vessel belonging to one COMPLAINT.
and bring into special prominence the
easy good humor with which IL winks
at the manufacture of the deadly war
material for the other.-washington
Post.