The sun., 1908-01-10
OUR MAVAL ExCUnmON.
Fronu As FortnicAnv RsvEsw.

From he FSTtAichflv RsvEsS.
The American battle hset has departed
upon its voyage Of u. 600 miles from HamptoN
Roads TO San Francisco. The voyage is
expected 20 last lAO days. and the feet In
expected to reach San Francisco by the be-
ginning Of May. which will he convenient for
the purposes Of tho Republican party IN next
years Presidential campaign. The press
enthusiasm. meanwhile. II indescTibsble.
Even 20 admirable q Journalist ~ Mr.. Fred
erick Palmer whose work In the ManchuTian
campaign was unsurpassed Tor SleEsec
brilliancy and Judgment. tells us IF Wa
fire one-quArter as. well In conflict as We do
in target practice. any enemy must be put
out OF action In dfteen minutes. Language
like this leaves Japan tense and patient.
Thoughtful Americans will readily believe
that we are not actNated by the envy and
alarm this country is apparently supposed
to feel when we say that the tones OF triumph
over Japan with which the sailing Of the
American feet has been accompanied have
been painful 20 brave men In all countries.
Comment upon some features Of American
psychology 10 useless. For at least three
generations nov the people OF the United
States have VauntSd themselves with un-
paralleled' vlKOF; but the odd thing II that
they have always hitherto justified most OF
their vaunts. Time has not spoken the last
word. That the japanese are more willing
to die than any white man remains true
equally true that the Japanese waste no
strength in words. but devote themselves
behind the screen Of their conventional DO
litsness to a sober. sombre. desperate per-
sisteDcy OF thought and pr pAration. The
American press is not we'll advised in scatter
ing the seeds Of future hatred with so liberal
a hand. II the people Of the United states
ever set themselves to defeat Japan they will
perhaps do Il in the end. but they will have
a CHASTITY awakening In the interval.
As practice for the American navy the
Pacific cruise Is legitimate and invaluable
There is, Of course. present danger OF
war. But IL will be always in the power or
the Japanese feet to compel the United
States, IL trouble should ever come. to fight
on the Asiatic side OF the Pacific. The Japa-
nese instead OF rushing toward the decisive
shock at once. would play u waiting game
until they had secured by hook or by crook
sonnet hing like q desperate moment Of oppoT-
tunity. And although Japan is told that
she Is hopelessly beaten In respect of ships
guns and money. she knows that many other
things count In the great game: and II the
hour ever strikes, which heaven forbid. she
will have from the first that supreme sense
Of fighting for life which America would not
have till later. The result Of the Pacific
voyage. however. will lead beyond all doubt
to another great effort Of naval expansion
II is quite possible. and It il indeed very
probable, thai both America and Germany
at the end Of another decade will be spend
ing upon their fleets much as we are now
spending upon the British navy. To main
tain the two Power standard, we repeat. win
ultimately force upon US the most stupendous
sacrifices ever made by people. and from
that certainty there must be no shrinking