The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-07-24
Growls Because Colonies Honor
Visit of the American
Bluejackets.
Reasons Why the United States
Fleet Is Given Such a
Welcome.
Especial to. The Free Press.l

Especial to The Free Press.l
London, July 22.-While the Ameri-
can battleship feet, which sails tomor-
row from Honolulu bound for the Brit
ish colonies in the Antipodes, will be
given a warm welcome by the officials
and people of New Zealand and Aus
tralia, the feeling in the mother ,coun.
try is far from cordial. AS matter of
fact, John Bull is little jealous of
Uncle Sam and some of the London
newspapers even charge the latter
with an attempt to ALLEVIATE the af-
fections of King Edwards dominions
beyond the seas.
Fund for Entertainment.
The Australians have appropriated
about half million dollars for the en-
tertainment of the feet and this is
branded as "extravagant" by the Brit
ish press.
: Commenting on the visit of the
Prince of Wales to Quebec, where he
will arrive today on the big cruiser
Indomitable, The London Daily Mail
says that this "will at least prove to
Canada that the. British navy pos
sesses finer warships than any which
fly the American flag. There is no rea-
son." concludes The, Mail, ".why the
Indomitable and her; sisters should not
show themselves at Sydney and Mel
bourne"
!, Commenting on. the spirit in which
the Australian colonies are preparing
to welcome a fleet flying the Stars and
Stripes, The Daily Mail says:
Explains the Enthusiasm.
"The q. explanation of this outburst
of enthusiasm is probably to be found
in the fact that since the withdrawal
of the British battleship fleet from
the China station, which has left the
British Empire without single bat
tleship east of Suez, the Australian
people have felt themselves open to
naval attack. They see in the feet OF
the United States a force capable of
giving protection. 1t would be well,
however, for Australians to understand
the true causes which led the admiralty
to recall the British battleships. The
rapid development of the continental
nayies confronted Britain with these
She might greatly in
crease her navy, and thus be. strong
at home, while still maintaining pow.
erful squadrons in distant waters.
That course would have been wisest
and safest in the long run, though
its cost would have been great. Or
she might obtain allies, economize
in. naval construction, and withdraw
her distant fleets, which with a re-
duced navy, she would no longer be
able to spare.
Roasts British Navy.
"The second course was taken, right.
ly or wrongly, and we may say frankly
that it's results have not been graft
flying to national pride. The failure
of the British navy to put in prompt
appearance after the earthquake at
Kingston is now to be followed by the
assembling before Australian crowds
of a far more powerful feet under
foreign flag than Britain has ever dis
PLAYED in Pacific waters.
"The blame, however, for this STATE
of affairs does not rest entirely with
the people of the United Kingdom.
They annually provide some 100000
600 for the navy. The cost of an ef-
ficient and powerful Australian squad
ron would be at least $l0,000,O0O, and
probably considerably more. Yet the
total contribution of Australia to the
navy is only $lOOO,OOO, while that Of
New Zealand is an additional 100000.
Not Strong at All Points.
at is impossible for the British navy
to be strong at all points, as the ideal
lists would wish to see it, unless it re-
ceive greater ppecuniary support from
the states of the empire. If large de-
tachments were made to a distant
point from the present navy, defeat
in Europe would be risked.
australians can see that any serious
blow to the integrity or. prosperity of
the mother country would be a dis
aster to their own commonwealth, and
they will not be inclined to blame the
British admiralty for taking its pre-
cautions to prevent this. But it would
be well next year, if the ships could be
spared from their stations in Europe,
were powerful British feet of mod
orr, nrrn,nr nlhds disnatc ON q vny-