New-York tribune., 1905-06-21

The recent remarkable changes IN Great Britain's
defence policy, officially explained in various ways
or as striktrsly left unexplained by vague Minis
.e-iaI statements. have real meaning of widest
International moment at this time when 6 new
grouping Of the powers imminent, and OF
more particular interest and Importance the two
crest English speaking peoples These changes
mean, is proved by facts which be forth,
that the present British government frankly and
r,otoundiy believes that Great Britain will never
aSa.n wage war with the United States
Il the case OF Venezuela a most dangerous COM
pliost.on between the United Kingdom and the
United States. by which the opinion OF both nations
had been exasperated melted away, and the arbi-
rration on the Venezuelan question contributed to
the happy relations which now exist between the
greatest two naval powers of the future
NJ Balfouf's recent statement OF the results ar
rived az by the imperial defence committee Of his
Cabinet was divided by him into three parts The
first, home defence, resting on the predominant
aeet- he expounded at great length: the third the
defence OF India and the future Afshanistan he
sufficiently explained The second he omitted 1t
10 have been concerned, he told US both before
SID afterwa-d with colonial defence The head
ing colonial defence stands il the middle Of the
speech, and covers about onetwentieth part OF it's
contents All. however. Of substance that is found
Under Il is an answer 10 my inquiries on the single
case OF the abandonment OF St Lucia as defended
station; and this answer does not contain r,r,c4y
but only asserts that Jamaica would be better"
AS. however. the dockya-d st Jamaica has been
closed as the whole OF the West India garrisons
have been reduced 10 the lowest point consistent
With tne maintenance Of social order In time OF
peace II is obvious that Mr BaIfour felt himself
unable 70 give the reasons which govern policy in
This pe-t OF his speech. When the rneu,oranda of
the Admiralty explaining the new distribution of
our fleets appeared. when the naval stations AZ
Halifax and EsQuinalt were virtually ahando,.s
~e were only told that Concentration had be-
come desirable
Il seems mere idle buryins of heads in sand to
pretend that We are unaware OF the real meaning
ot this great change.
a CANAL OUTPOST DISCARDED.
Al stili later date we had debate on navy es-
inmates In which the Secretary of the Admiralty
said few words which were more important In
the information shed upon the subject than was
the Prime Ministers speech, but which, unlike
that speech attracted no attention. 1t was ex-
planned that the Admiralty had not given up the
policy Of possible protection OF trade routes by
local patrol and that Bermuda alone Of our trans
atlantic naval stations was TO be maintained This
fact shows that the withdrawal of the garrison
from ST Lucia formerly considered most i'm
por1ant on account of its convenience for the
future Panama Canal: the closing Of the oockyard
in Jamaica, and the similar steps which have
been taken generally throughout our American
stations, are based on policy rather than upon
strategy. AS patrol bases they would still be
useful.
II is clearly the view Of the present government
and the one IN which their decision can
De reversed by their SUCCESSORS, and is, there
fore final that all future differences between
selves and the United States viii be settled by
bitration or. least. without resort to When
zhe alliance Of the three ernperors was in its
strongest force, and at q moment when the rulers
Of Russia and OF Prussia were acting together in
everything and swearing eternal friendship, Russia
built her quadrilateral IN Northwestern Poland
and Prussia expended vast upon the forti-
9ications of K6nigsburg. The military and naval
advisers Of government take, indeed. but little
account Of temporary friendships. however close.
II their duty as prudent men TO prepare for
future which may be very different, and not 70 be
caught mapping by the formation Of new group
fngs Of the powers Our government has stated IN
both Houses Of Parliament that when war breaks
out" or less cuuasily, when need arises men
and machinery for our West Indian and American
backwards will be sent out" Every sailor knows
that the navy will never undertake such convoy
at such times and that this explanation does not
meet the possibilities Of dangerously strained re-
iations bet7-een ourselves and the United States
THE MARVELLOUS CHANGE OF OPINION.
II would be an e1aggeration tc pretend that we
have entirely disarrned toward the United States,
Rny more than we have toward any other country
The United States is power which has become vul-
rerabls by setting up colonies across the seas
No one suggests however either that covet
these colonies or the loss Of them would weigh
heavily in the terms Of peace that might follow
any possible collision. Canada, as self-respect-
ing state. has excellent military college, and
IS slowly improving her militia, without. however
either setting up a regular force or buying arms
on scale which for moment compare with
the establishments OF her great neighbor Sub
stantiaIly the fact remains that the British gov
e-nuoeu1 has shown its profound belief in the
stability Of the present friendly and. indeed,
cellent relations which exist between ourselves
and the United States and in the community Of
interests between the two great Englfsh-speaklng
powers As one who wrote in favor Of this policy
sr Greater Britain in 1893 when circumstances
made its adoption far more difficult, cannot but
welcome the stupendous change. II is far less than
q quarter Of century since Great Britain ana
France were still discussing measures to prevent
the United States controlling the waterway be
tween the Atlantic and Pacific The sudden rev.
oly1tiou In British opinion seems TO have occurred
between the commencement and the end OF the
Venezuela frontier dispute. How complete the
change in opinion is may be discovered by COM
psrson Of the language used on all sides as to the
later Canadian frontier difficulty with that COM