The Washington herald., 1907-07-04
THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1907.
Our Naval Policy in the Orient.

our Naval POlicY IN the orient
We. are pleased to note the official state
ments that the United States has no pres
ent intention Of concentrating an over
whelming naval force in far Eastern
waters. Such a movement would have
but one meaning and but single pur-
} pose. It could be construed in no other
way than an open threat TO Japan, and
It would signify nothing less than an in
tertion on our part to become a dom
mating force in the Pacific. That there
are naval officers who believe we
should show Japan the mailed fist and
who cherish the ambition Of making the
United States the paramount power in
the Pacific, we have no doubt whatever
We do not question. either, the probabil-
fly that they have been strongly impress
ing their views upon the President But
there Is as yet no trustworthy evidence
that they have wen him over 10 their
way Of thinking. Mr.. Roosevelt has al
ways been a stanch advocate of naval
preparedness for war. and If the dispatch
Of sixteen battle ships 10 the Orient were
IN pursuance of a war policy, fl would be
at least theoretically justifiable What
reason. however, is there for preparing
for war with Japan. or for assuming
that there is any necessity for such prep
aration? We know of none.
It would be well for the American peo-
pie to consider with caution all the i'm
plications and consequences Of the ambi-
tious naval policy which the general
board Of the navy is apparently seeking
TO force upon the country. To maintain
on the Pacific and Asiatic stations a
feet the equivalent in strength Of nearly
the entire American navy. as at present
constituted, would be completely 10 revo-
lutioniZe our naval policy, and the advo-
Gates OF a powerful Pacific fleet make no
effort to conceal their purpose 10 effectu-
ate such q revolution. Our present naval
policy Is largely built up around the Mon
roe doctrine For years naval extension
plans have been urged on the sole ground
that we might as well expunge that doc
trine from our national traditions if we
were not prepared to defend and enforce
It by big navy. Build more battle ships
II you want the Monroe doctrine re-
spected by foreign nations. is the advice
President Roosevelt has given over and
over again. And so we have constructed
powerful navy 10 uphold American pol
fey in this hemisphere, where We are. by
common consent, the predominant power,
the protector Of a score Of sister repub-
lies from aggression from any quarter.
Wen, what sort Of doctrine is it pro-
posed that we uphold in the Pacific by a
feet Of sixteen battle ships. Our interests
in the Orient are far less than those Of at
least three other irst-class powers-name-
1y, Great Britain. Russia, and Japan.
We have an expensive and unremuuera-
tive colonial venture in that region. and
We have a growing trade with China; but
in none OF these respects have We a su-
perior advantage over the other powers
menuoned-a predCminance Of interest
that would entitle US 20 the exclusive and
ghadOwy glory Of the mastery Of the
Pacific" Does any one seriously propose
that we send sixteen battle ships to the
far East to defend from an imaginary
danger a group Of islands that is al
ready costing us a pretty penny in naval
and military expenditure? We may be
sure that something more is behind the
ambitious policy exploited by naval STRAIT
egists, and that something IS American
predominance In Asiatic affairs. Hereto
fore we have exercised a by no means
unimportant diplomatic influence over the
course Of events in the far East; now It
IS proposed that We substitute for diplo-
macy, or back It UP by, a show of force
exceeding that of the principal Asiatic
power. An aggressive policy in the Orient.
that is the whole matter in a nutshell
Whether We shall enter upon this ag-
gressive policy depends on the decision Of
one man-the President Of the United
States. the constitutional commander-in-
chief Of the army and navy. Upon the
significance OF this fact the American
people would do well to ponder-that al
the will Of the Executive the nation may
embark on a naval policy utterly foreign
TO all our traditions, just as by the will
Of the Executive the nation entered upon
ito Ooioiiiai ddNtiituttf tAdt bs eiilbdIh-
ing on this revolutionary naval policy he
may force from Congress the appropria-
tion OF immense sums for the construction
Of an Atlantic feet 10 replace that sent
TO the Pacific. as also the appropriation
of the vast sums required for the estab-
lishment Of naval stations and docking
and repair facilities in distant waters;
that he may by his orders to the fleet
embroil US IN contentious international
a word. the Presiden. holds the destiny