The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-09-10
THE NAYAL CRUISE.

THE NATAL CRUISE.
 Though he is deprived by circum- stances over which he has no con- trol of district which he may repre- sent upon the floor of the house of representatives Congressman at Large Lilley of Waterbury finds ,wide- spread audience to address upon the subject of the proposed expedition of sixteen battleships to the Pacific Ocean. That he has addressed his in- terested hearers in a manner to com mand their instant attention has led the Springfield Republican to accept him on that account as a winning can didate for the governorship of the State of Connecticut Aside from his eligibility for that office we have no hesitation whatever in saying that in condemning the proposed naval cruise he has struck the note that needed to be struck to arouse the American peo- pie to the mischief of it.
 It will be remembered that when the expedition was first spoken of there was more or less talk about a friction with Japan on account of the school disturbance in the city of San Francisco. It was feared that the ap- pearance there of a number of first class battleships would give the land of Nippon reason to question our good faith. Discovering the fact that the country was nervous about the trip the administration after many devious twists and turns let it be understood that it had been abandoned. It is now understood to be the perfected plan of the administration to send this large number of battleships to the Pa cific for the purpose of navy disci- pline and experience. The announce ment has not provoked the same feel ing of apprehension because the stage setting is different The general feel ing has been that there must be the best of reasons for indulging in this imposing display of force in that sec- ton of the country, but now upon ex- animation those reasons do not con- vince. People are beginning to ask themselves why even for the purpose of discipline the ships should be sent such a great distance, leaving the At lantic seaboard practically undefend- ed? There appears to be no new req sons why so large an undertaking should be made when in the years that have gone the same purpose has been effected without the proposed expense and endurance. The nation does not seem to be in such a need for naval development that the unus- ual thing should be done.
 It might be very serious matter to denude the Atlantic seaboard of it's sole protection, especially as it means as MT. Lilley points out, that there is no navy yard equipment where the battleships are going sufficient to properly care for them. He declares that he is at loss to know what is going to be done with the fleet when it reaches it's destination. We have there, he says, "only two yards, one of which, Mare Island, might as we'll be in Tucson, Arizona, there being about the same amount of water in either place." He finds after a diligent in- quiry among naval officers that the only thing to be gained by the expe- dition is practical test of our ability to assemble a sufficient amount of coal on the east and west coasts of South America. MT Lilley then goes on to say in truly democratic spirit of indifference to the finer sensitive ness of the administration: There Illhy bC 0OiAlCblAlAls tO OC ScblllSu III ltlS great moral effect on the republics of South America, who, having seen our great fighting strength, will think more than once before pulling any feathers out of the tail of the great American eagle. If the matter of this cruise was taken up in the house I believe there would be small chance for a resolu- ton to appropriate a million dollars for this puopose. The cost will be paid out of the contingent emergency oI maintenance fund. From a strategic point of view there is nothing to be gained. To make a show of force tc Japan is entirely unnecessary. She 1: not intending to take on the expense of war while she is having difficulty to borrow money to pay her curren expenses. The whole thing reminds me of the King of France who witt ten thousand men marched up th' A hill and then marched down again SS0