New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-06
THE NAVY IN THE PACIFIC.

The prospect that in the not remote future
considerable part of the effective navy Of the
United States will make cruise in Pacific
waters and visit the chief ports of Pacific
Coast is 10 be regarded with sincere salts
faction. We pointed out the other day some OF
the reasons why such a redistribution of the
fleet, temporarily or permanently, might be de-
sirable from a commercial point of view. There
are also other reasons which we might describe
as partly patriotic and partly military. Thus 1t
will be well TO give our fellow citizens Of the
Pacific Coast opportunity TO see such
demonstration Of American naval prowesS rs
has thus far been visible only on the Atlantic
and Gulf coasts. The people of the Far West
are as much interested in the military branches
of government as those of the Atlantic sea
board, and they will appreciate the opportunity
OF seeing for themselves the splendid fleet cf
which they have heard so much and to the
creation of which they have so largely contrib
uted. Nor are we to overlook the desirabllity,
from the professional point Of view, of having
the commanders and navigatOrS Of our ships
familiarize themselves with all the frequented
waters Of the world 1t may be that any cap
tain In the navy could take his ship around
the Horn as successfully as Captain Clark took
the Oregon in 1898, but the ability 10 do so
and popular confidence in that ability will be
increased by the actual experience Of making
such a voyage.
We have been inclined 10 regard it as cause
for regret that this country did not or could
not Immediately upon the confirmation of It's
possession of the Philippines put its naval
establishment in the Pacific upon footing ap-
propriate TO its new estate. 1t would have been
the part of wisdom as 1t seems TO us, to have
made Manila OF the chief Of our naval
stations and to have placed there fleet COM
parable In strength with that which we main
hot r-O111d hpJ- "a
been a perfectly timely and unexceptOnahle
thing to do at that time. Unfortunately our
navy had not yet reached q size which would
permit OF the sending OF a formidable feet 10
those waters, and since then, even with the
fine expansion of the navy and the recognition
of the Importance OF the Philippines as naval
and commercial base, the want has not yet been
supplied nor have our Pacific waters nearer
home received quota Of the navy comparable
with that IN these Eastern waters.
The time now seems oppOrtune for judlcious
redistribution of the feet along those lines.
Our navy Is now large enough TO give an
effective force to each Of the two oceans and
facilities for docking and otherwise caring for
great warships are adequate at Manila, as well
as at Puget Sound AS the sending OF our own
ships TO any part Of our own waters Is
purely domestic question: with Which no other
nation has or is likely TO assume TO have any
legitimate concern, we might Ignore the inter-
national side Of the matter altogether. But as
there has in some quarters been some exc1table
talk about trouble with Japan" 1t may be
worth while 10 say that one timely reason Tor
augrnenting our naval force in the Pac1hc is
the fact that our relations with Japan are now
so entirely and confidently amicabe, ana inc
historic friendship between the two countries
e so strong and vital, that no rational man
would dream Of msinterpreting such move
ment as being Inspired by anticipation Of war
with that country. Were there any impairment
of relations between America and Japan any
such movement Of the feet might arouse appre-
bension. In the present profound peace and
unstrained amity nobody In either country
should perceive anything OIninous IN IT, save
perhaps, those incorrigible alar1nlsts VINO can
discover a we'll tenanted mares nest behind
every clump OF bulrushes.