The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-03-13
our NAVAL RANK
IS N DANGER
Japan and Germany Are Now Forging
Ahead.
TIE PRESIDENT is STIRRED up.
Launching Of the First German Dread
neught Has Directed Attention to
the Significance Of the Kaiser's Pro-
gram-Japs Are Also Building Secret
". and, as Ususl, Extensively.

Washington. D. c. Especially The
Officers of the Navy Department Sfe
following with the closest attention all
information that it vouchsafed con-
corning the launching on last Satur-
day at Wilhelmshaven of the battle
ship Nassau, the first of the German
Dreadnoughts. The Nassau is only
one of the four that have been begun
and is the first of the series, which,
IL the present program remains un-
changed, is intended to place Ger
many in the second place among ma
val powers.
At the present time the United
States is ranked by the authorities
as the second naval power in the
world. The launching of the Nassau
is naturally of vital interest to the
American Navy, because if the Ger
man program is followed out and the
American Congress persists in it's in
difference to President Roosevelt's
recommendation, it is question OF
a year or two when Germany will
have outranked the United States
President Roosevelt urged the Com
mittee ON Naval Affairs in the most
earnest language to authorize this
year the building of four battleships,
but the committee rejected his rec
ommendation and has authorized
only two. Mr.. Roosevelt has not yet
abandoned all hope of arousing Con-
gress to patriotic sense of its duty,
and when the Naval Affairs Bill comes
up in the House he will send spec
cial message setting forth certain in
formation in his possession to inn
press upon Congress the necessity for
increasing the number Of battleships
from two to four.
In spite of all assertions of Baron
Takihira that his country wants moth
ing but peace, and in spite of the
determined opposition of one wing
of the japanese Parliament against
further expenditures for the Japan
ese Navy, it is the information of our
naval officers that the Japanese gov
eminent is increasing its navy day
and night. So secretive are the meth
DDS of the Japanese and SO unreliable
and dntrustworthy their statements
that no one knows accurately what
is going on in the shipyards at Yo-
kosuka and at Kure. If two ships are
to be built, they will doubtless be of
$1,000 tons each. Last year the Sat-
suma, 1890 tons, was completed,
and the Aki, 1890 tons, was
launched. Four armored cruisers OF
13, $50 to IA, 800 tons were completed
or launched, each carrying four IL
inch guns and making % knots, and
at least one of the ships captured
from Russia was rebuilt and made
better than it was before.
Great Britain, of course, stands at
the head of the list of naval powers,
and will remain so so long as she is
to her present policy of
maintaining navy equal to that OF
the two next strongest naval powers
Last year she launched three battle
ships of $4,000 tons, establishing the
new Dreadnought type. She launched
further, three armored cruisers OF
1920 tons, and one CT $4,000 tons
She practically completed two battle
ships of 16.500 tons and two ar
cruisers of $4,000 tons, and
she placed in commission four new
armored cruisers of 1850 tons. She
is committed to the immediate build
Ing OF three battleships of 19.25G
tons, and her program for the i'm
mediate future contemplates an ac-
tivity at least equal to that of the
Dast,