Omaha daily bee., 1906-05-13

Ito our products IN transit, but 10 demand
for them fair and Just opportunities in
the markets beyond the seas. Strong for
Ieign policies. based on great navy are
thus an American necessity. Therefore,
the supreme lesson of the day for the
American people is this, that, for insur-
ing our prosperity in time OF peace, for
preventing war as long az possible, and
for the successful prosecution of war II II
must come, we are driven by inexorable
conditions TO secure and maintain great
power upon the sea.
Goal Problem Vast.
For power upon the sea the Russo-Jap-
anese war has shown 1.-THE Importance Of
having wide flung and carefully located
naval stations OF bases of operations. All
methods OF coaling ships at sea have
proved inadequate. Coal. which has be-
come as vital for a feet as food Is for a
man can be put on board with assurance
of success only inside a har@bor After
war has begun II can only be safely sup
piled to a fleet from nearby stations ade-
quately stored before war is declared.
/ In most OF the waters of the earth the
bottoms of ships foul rapidly and require
frequent bookings under penalty of serious
! loss of speed. Efforts at cleaning ships
j bottoms at sea are as fruttless as efforts at
4 coaling at sea. With 80 much machinery
on board. modern vessels. TO remain eff
cient, must have periodical overhauling re-
be carried on board. Furthermore, vessels
injured in battle and In accidents. newt
able In the operations OF a fleet must look
to a nearby station for repairs. Since the
United States has a wide spread and grow
ing commerce over the ocean. the zone OF
operations In time of war will extend far
away from our shores. II Is OF the utmost
Importance, therefore, that we should
hasten The establishment OF strong naval
bases In the distant waters OF the earth.
| This nations commerce and security de-
mand an tsthmian canal, always open, un-
der American ownership and American
prot ection.
/ We cannot, therefore, safely allow any
mar time Power of Europe 60 establish and
maintain a naval base in the waters OF
the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf OF Mexico.
/ AS japanese diplomacy, following the rise
l OF Japan. is causing the British to eva
cuate Wei-Hai-Wei. and the Germans 10
/ evacuate Kiao-Chao. bases near the Jap
auese coasts. so should American diplo-
macy follow up the rise OF America by
causing the withdrawal OF European
Powers from the West Indies.
/ II Is imperative that we should lose no
more time In building up our feet and es-
tablishing these naval bases. These vital
factors OF defence cannot be improvised
after war Is declared. II takes a long
time TO build battle ship-four years on
the average-and long time TO establish
a naval station. While war operations
. particularly on the sea. may come almost
| lnstantaneously upon the declaration OF
war, and war can come at any time with
but little warning. IKE a bolt from a clear
sky II i now a hundred times more i'm
portant than it was IN the days Of Wash
ington to prepare for war In time Of peace
Yet America allows the matter to drift
with voful negligence.
The war emphasized the fact that the
building OF ships and the establis hment Of
bases must be done In dimes OF peace. FoT