St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1907-07-17
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Our WarShipS in the Pacific-Prepar,
ationS for War in Time of Peace.

From our Special Correspondent
| Editor CALEDoNIAN
Those who criticise the administration
for proposing to send some of our own
warships from one part of our coast to
another on the ground that such a
movement is calculated to unwarrant-
ably offend the Japanese would be the
| first to let out howl about our unpre-
paredness were serious trouble to arise
| with Japan and she should strike up in a
vital spot without warning as she did
Russia. Roosevelt has always been
| forehanded. 1t was due to his vigorous
insistence that the American fleet in
Asiatic waters was sufficiently well pre-
pared to take and hold Manila. That
he accomplished while assistant secre-
tary of the navy and as President it is
natural he does not propose we shall sit
down idle and let Japan prepare to slip
knife under our fifth rib. The sending
of our fleet to the Pacific is no more an
unfriendly act toward Japan than her
haste in constructing war vessels and in
acquiring a merchant marine is toward
us. Naturally enough, as she holds the
balance of power in the Pacific she pro-
poses to maintain it if possible, and if
she can prevent us from strengthening
our equipment while she goes ahead
with hers SO much the better for her.
The world realizes that if there is war it
will be provoked by Japan, and the
world also realizes that whether Japan
means to 90 to war with this country or
not, she is placing herself in readiness to
strike or defend. She is the ally of Eng
land, the only other power she has to
fear in her struggle for the supremacy of
the Pacific. Russia will not be able to
place or maintain a fleet in ASiatic
waters for years to come. 1t is true her
designs upon China may bring her into
conflict with France or Germany, but
war between Japan and these countries
is scarcely even remote possibility.
Why then does Japan increase its fleet
and bring all its energies to bear to
strengthen its merchant marine paying
the most liberal subsidies from the laying
of the keel
The talk about the United States Win
ming "in the long rum may well be dis
counted. 1t is question if we can stand
h. ba
the moral effect of the loss of the Philip
pines, Hawaii and Guam? The first,
Japan could take without appreciable
difficulty In Hawaii she has thousands
of Japanese now, and more coming.
Granted her overwhelming fleet could
put us out of business on the Asiatic
station, what is to prevent her fast
merchant vessels converted into cruisers,
and perhaps privateers, from marrying
our Pacific coast? But suppose she
merely took the Philippines, when and
how would we get them back? Would
the American people stand for the ire
mendous expenditure of blood and
treasure necessary to recover them, es-
pecially when the Filipinos would doubt
less fight with the other wise By the
time we could get our feet over to
Manila or Japan, the japanese would be
ready for us, and even if we won great
naval battle, they would be at home,
and what was left of our ships would be
in a sore plight for haven. 1t is un-
pleasant to contemplate this situation
but we have too long pursued the policy
of complacently watching Japan's pro
gress toward preparation for war
! Common sense demands that we make
suitable provision for defense while there
is yet time.
! Washington, July 13, 1907