The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-16

pOnCSTS Ol Tue PDeiC .ustilc VI HiS
commensurate. The Pacific Coast be-
gan the agitation for exclusion, the
Pacific Coast has protested for twenty
years against loosenipg the smallest
peg in the bars. Here is where China
gets back at the Pacific Coast, the one
part OF the United States to which ORR
entail trade is just now vital
The New Policy OF the British Navy.
Speaking in the House Of Commons on
May IL. as Chairman Of the Committee OF
Defence of the Admiralty, Mr.. BALFoUR
announced that hereafter the British
feet and army would be concentrated at
the center Of the empire, from which
they would be distributed as necessity
arose. II is long since any utterance OF a
British Premier was calculated TO excite
so much attention on the European Con-
tinent, for it was tantamoupt TO declara-
ton that no invasion OF England need be
dreaded, but that British India consti-
tutes the vulnerable part Of King Ed
WARDS dominions.
II i. maniiestly complete change OF
objective that is contemplated. Hereto
fore the fundamental aim Of the Admi-
rally and the " ar Office has been to safe
guard England. the core Of the empire;
and the problem which has taxed the
ingenuity Of naval and military strate-
gists has been to reconcile this primary
purpose with the precautions needed to
protect Br.tain's globe encirclins pos
sessions. II the principle was pro-
pounded that Britain's navy must al
ways be at least equal to the combined
fleets Of the two next greatest naval
Powers, it was because Ministers took
for granted that they must always keep
in English waters, or within easy dis
lance thereof, force able TO command
the British Channel and the North Sea
to shield England from invasion
In pursuance OF this principle. the
British navy, exclusive Of reserves and
Of squadrons maintained in the Indian
Ocean and in the Pacific, was until re-
Gently divided into the so-called Home
feet, the Channel feet, the -Mediter-
ranean feet and the Atlantic feet.
Moreover. the Mediterranean feet was
more often stationed at Gibraltar than
al Malta. Hencetorh, however, the
protection Of outlying possessions having
been accepted as the main object OF the
navy, the Admiralty will proceed on the
assumption that what have heretofore
been known as the Mediterranean. Allan
tic and Home fleets will usually be alb
sent in distant seas, and for immediate
service in the North Sea and British Chan
mel will resign itself to relying on six
battleships and six first-class cruisers, to
which might without much delay be
added the reserve, comprising twelve
cruisers, twenty-four torpedo-boat de-
s.royers and nire;y-fve torpedo boats
II we admit thf, battleships constitute
the backbone Of naval force we must
recognize that should the new program
be carried out England might find her
self outmatched at q given moment in
the British Channel or North Sea by
either France or Germany. and unques-
tiouably would be by a combination Of
two great naval Powers. Hitherto the
assumption has been that such loss Of
preponderance should be avered at all
hazards. les, i, should be Immediately
followed by successful invasion Of
England.
Mr.. BALForR denied that there was
any ground for the assumption. He &C.
copied as authoritative the opinion Of
Lord ROBERTS that although the number
Of regular soldiers maintained in Eng
land might be small. and the volunteers
and militia possessing some knowledge
OF arms might be relatively unorcanized,
IL would be impracricable to invade Eng
land with less than 7oo0 mep. and that
even for such body the capture OF
London would be forlorn hope, Mr..
BALrorR pointed out that even in the
case Of France, England 8 nearest neigh
Dor. the transportation Of 10000 men
could no, be Effected in less than forty
eight hours, and would require at least
oio,oro tons Of shipping The largest
number of toas that wero in the Channel
and Atlantic ports Of France last year
was 900 tons, which would have been
inadequate to the transport Of even
5000 men. What is true OF France, he
argued. is even more true OF Germany,
which is further away. The fear OF an
invasion of Grea. Britain be dismissed.
therefore, as a bogy, and asserted that
the .invio.ate island had never been
successfully invaded since the Norman
Conquest.
II remains TO be seen whether the
British people will sanction Mr.. BAL
foCRs naval program. His oppo-
nents will point out that If one of
Enslaad's neighbors secretly contem-
plated placing an army q. her shores,
il would take measures 10 hare in its
ports at . given moment the volume Of
tonnage needed for the task Of trans
portation. 1t will be recalled that Ma
PoLEoN got together in Boulogne and
adjacent harbors fotilla large enough
to land 100, 900 men in England, provided
he could be assured Of commanding the
Channel for forty-eigh. hours. Now it
might well happen, if the new program
is carried out, that week might elapse
before the six hattlesh:ps retained in