Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-09-28
The NECESSITY FOR A Large
NAVY DISCUSSED.
Public Opinion Discusses fhe Cues.
tiOn of Greater Navy. Quotes
the Situation From an English
Point of View, as Against Such
Necessity.

1t tacitly assumed by many and openly
declared by others that the destiny of the
United States demands the creation of q
navy at least equal to that of any Euro
pean power except England Some
radical friends Of the navy do not except
even England. In last weeks Independ-
ent James Bryce pointed out what seem
to him satisfactory reasons for thinking
that our natural position and resources
are far more effective defense than any
navy would be. Mr.. Bruce says:
With ner boundless wealth and vast
population, with her inexhaustible sup.
plies OF food, OF coal and of iron, with the
amazing alertness and ingenuity of her
citizens in swiftly producing and skilfully
employing everything necessary for war
like purposes, America is the most for
mdable antagonist that any power could
haye. No country could hope to gain
anything by a war with her. None could
strike at vital point. None could wrest
anything from her that she now pos
sesses. None could ho.d out SO long as
she could in a protracted struggle. II
her enemy were able to blockade her
coasts she would doubtless suffer by the
temporary interruption of CONNER
But her home market is far more import
ant than her foreign market, and she has
at homo almost everything thai IL.
needs. The only antagonist that could
attempt such blockade would be Great
Britain, and the eventuality of a war be-
tween America and Great Britain may
be dismissed as outside the range Of
present practical politics, not merely for
sentimental reasons, but also for other
reasons OF the strongest cogency.
1t is sometimes said that the United
States needs great navy to MAINTAIN its
ascendancy in the western hemisphere.
AS for the republics Of Central and South
America. few battleships and some
gunboats would be amply sufficient to
chastise them should they infringe. as
they have sometimes seemed likely to do.
the rights of American citizens, while the
idea that any European power will at
tempt to acquire territories on the South
American continent, though one finds it
treated seriously by few American
publicsts, seems to European observer
chlmerrial. Whether German or
French colony estab shed in Brazil-to
take the instance sometimes supposed
could injnre or could even cause disquiet
to the United States need not be discuss
ed, for it is certian that neither Germany
nor France would attempt to establish
colony against the wish of the United
States.
''But the United States has now,' so
it will be said, "entered on new line OF
policy as an ocean power. She holds
territories in the West Indies, in Hawaii,
in the Philippines, which can only be
defended by navy" Again, the ques-
ton arises: Who is going to attack her?
Who could attack her with any prospect
of ultimate success? Americans them.
selves do not seem to realize the full
strength OF their strategical position nor
how true it is that in naval war victory
must ultimately 60 to the nation which
commands the largest resources. Even
assuming courage and science TO be
equal, the power which can raise re.
venue most easily and quickly is certain
to prevail, and to such power the
momentary loss of control of part of the
sea or OF an island would be a matter of
small consequences, because being sure to
come out winner in the end, she would
recover anything. 1t is sometimes ar
gued that America needs great navy in
order to expand her foreign trade and be-
come great exporting country. The
connection of these things is not obvious.
She is already an immense exporter of
her natural products, and she can be-
come an immense exporter of manufac-
tured goods also when ever she pleases.
This object will be most directly attained,
not by spending more on unproductive
purposes in qutdruping her navy but by
lowering the present protective tariff
Public Opinion.