New-York tribune., 1906-12-21
THE KAISER AND HIS SHIPS.

The German electoral campaign Is to be
fought primarily and technically on the colo
NAL, and most particularly the Hottentot, issue.
1t was on that issue that the Reichstag re-
fused to grant the money asked by the i'm
peral government and thereby incurred its
own dissolution. Beyond doubt, Herr Bebel
and his Socialist followers, and the Clericals
of the Centre, too, will at the hustings ring the
changes upon the known and reputed abuses
of colonial administration, upon the alleged
corruption and crueltles of which colonial adj
ministrators have been guilty, and upon the
costliness tediOusness and lack Of success of
the war with the Hottentots; while the parh-
sans of the government, defending so far as
they can the accused officials and their policy,
will insist that in any event the integrity of
the empire requires that, having set their hands
to the colonial plough, they shall not turn back.
But in addition to this, the whole military pol
icy of the empire, sea as we'll as on land.
and perhaps especially on sea, is sure to be
scathingly reviewed by the Opposition.
The Emperor has asked this year for large
sum for naval construction, and we may well
believe that there is item in the whole
budget upon which his heart is more set. War
Lord as he is, it Is Sea King that he most OF
ali desires to be- The German navy is i'll a
special sense his own creation. The German
army was supreme in Europe long before he
came to the throne-ndeed. while he was yet
in his infancy. But the German navy was re-
served for him to create. In his boyhoOd he
used to watch with mingled delight and envy
the warships of Great Britain at Spithead and
in Portsmouth DOckyard and he thus early
formed not only the desire but the resolution
to give to Germany a navy which should be
second 10 none i'll the world. when l came
TO the throne" he has said, II attempted to
reproduce on a scale commensurate with the
resources and interests of my country
that which had made so deep an impression
upon my mind when saw it in England"
For the first few years of his reign VIII
lam II was unable to proceed with his naval
plans Burdened with conscriptOn and taxa
ton for the army, Germany refused to burden
itself further for a great navy. 1t held that
supreme power on land made sea power un-
necessary. The Emperor knew better. He had
not studied Captain Mahan's writings in vain
But it was reserved for of his impulsive
acts-One which was regarded by some as
regrettable escapade-to convert the empire to
his side. His famous proBoer telegram at
the time of the Jameson raid was the OPEN
sesame to German naval greatness. 1t moved
the British government TO mobilize reserve
fleet and a fully equipped British warship
seemed suddenly to spring from every wave of
the Narrow Seas. 1t was such an object les
son in ever ready sea power as the world had
never seen before. There were those who
thought II caused the Emperor to stop short
in his pro- Boer utterances. Whether it did that
or not, it opened the eyes OF the German na-
ton to the need OF a navy, and thereafter there
was no demurring TO the Emperor's plans.
The last ten years have seen a steady, rapid
and formidable expansion OF the German navy,
until now it is in close competition with the
American for third place among those of the
world. II has, moreover, definite programme,
extending over a period of years, which may
presently place 1t ahead of the American and
even the French navy, and make 1t second only
to that of Great Britain. By the year 1917, al
the present rate and according to present plans,
Germany Will have no fewer than tnirty-eight
first class battleships, of which eighteen will be
at least equal TO the British Dreadnought, and
twenty first class armored cruisers That will
be much more powerful fleet than any
in existence, save only England's, and, with
that same one exception, more powerful than
any now provided for by any other land We
may be sure that the Emperor and his parti-
sans Will spare no pains 10 secure in the new
ReichstaG majority committed to a continue