The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-08
MUST BOSS
THE PACIFIC.
SAYS DEWEY


balance of sea power on the Pacific.
The defenses on that coast are not up
to the standard of the Atlantic. That
the nation that has this power controls
the situation was proven in u war
with Spain.
"There were $4,000 Spanish soldiers
on the island when Cervera's fleet
started out of the harbor of Santiago
de Cuba. With the sinking of the fleet
the war practically ended.
Fortunately the United States Il 50
big and has such vast internal re-
sources that it cannot be bottled Up az
were the spaniards. but the necessity
for power on the seas remains"
In discussing the possibility Of the
fleet going to the Philippines, the adj
miral said:
II would say that unless the danger
was most imminent 1t would not be adj
visable to concentrate a large fleet,
with hundreds of officers and thousands
of men. in Philippine waters. The c1i-
mate is not right, as | know from per-
sonal experience.
II believe one of the reasons we had
such an easy victory over the Spaniards
was hat they had been so long In that
enervating climate. l am certain that
we would not have fought sc well when
we left as when we entered.
IAN enemy might take the Philip
pines and Hawaii, but as o as We
met them on the sea they would have
to give them up. The very presence OF
our sea force In the Pacific will serve
every purpose"
Admiral Dewey said there should be
no trouble In taking the feet around
the Horn into the Pacific. The battle-
ships, he said, should nave 40 more diff
ficulty thar a ferryboat has in crossing
from New York to Hoboken. 1t was
merely a question of coa M a ques-
ton of dollars.
So far as leaving the Atlantic coast
unprotected by the transfer of h
feet, Admiral Dewey said there WAS
nothing to fear. There were no ene-
mics to threaten the Atlantic coast, he
said, and even If there were h army
could take care of them. The admiral
said the d~efenses on this coast are in
excellent shape.
In closing the interview Admiral
Dewey intimated that he saw two pos
sible effects of Importance in the trans
fer of the fleet. He believes 1t will urge
the construction of another. Atlantic
fleet, with the ships 0 building as a
nucleus, and he hopes it will stimulate
and hasten the completion of the Pam
anna Canal.
SEATTLE, July S.-Orders have been
given TO rush the work on the battles
ships Oregon and Wisconsin, which are
undergoing extensive repairs at the
yard. The new battleship Nebraska,
| xrht1I, rro1k into communication a x-nHIf
ago, is to have her alterations made.
and the crew will be called out as soon
as men can be brought here.
Admiral Burwell, commandment Of h
Puget Sound Navy Yard, has sent an
urgent request that two extra dry
docks be built al Bremerton, in addi-
ton to the new lock Congress author
lied a year ago and which the Navy
Department has just commenced TO
construct. The drydock to be built inn
mediately will be twice as large as the
solitary dock on the Puget Sound zagA-
but Admiral Burwell believes with he
natural increase I'm the American fleet
in the Pacific and the fact that the
deeper draught boats cannot get into
the Mare Island dock, extern addi-.
lions will have to be made at Dremer-
ton.
CHICAGO, July ST think the
sending of a fleet of United States
ships to the Pacific is a good idea
said Charles e. Kremer, advisory leo
turer upon maritime law at the Uni-
versity of Chicago yesterday. Il am
glad to see it. As to whether such a
move would be construed as a menace
or threat TO Japan, it seems to me
that If [ were the President I would
be indifferent to any such constructions.
1t is not as though we were sending q
fleet to any ocean where we had no
right to be.
1--WE are building the Panama Canals
we are in control of island colonies,
and we have our own a IN the
Pacific. Hence we are perfectly justi-
fed. No one need take offense at the
action of he government. We simply
are working in our own yard. There
has been altogether too much talk OF
war, but it has been all from the other
side. 1 regard it as the loose talk Of
jingoes.f
I'm my opinion the sending Of g
feet to Pacific waters would be q guar
antee of peace" said Professor John
j. Halsey, of the chair of International
law in Lake Forest College. Certainly
there can be no harm in the move.
and there is no reasonable provocation
to Japan. Nor do 1 think Japan
would so construe such an act. Japan
is very friendly with his country, and
the expression of opposition from Toxic
is only talk of jingees who criticise the
Japanese Government. We have a per-
feet right in the Pacific as part of a
naaoof1,1 oo1fcv