Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-14
CONTEST FOR NAVAL POWER
BERLIN WRITER SEES WORLD
MOVEMENT UNDER WAY.
Germany's Remarkable Outlay for
New Ships and Armament-Some .
:. Perversion Of Facts

Special Cabegram to The Star.
BERLIN July 14.-According to naval
experts there are indications of a renew
ed contest for naval power All the prin-
cipal countries Of the world are entering
on this competition. from Russia. away
on the edge of Europe. to China far dis
tant in the east. In some cases the
schemes of expansion exist so far only on
paper. as in Russia and China. But the
utmost determinat ton is being shown in
other quarters-Germany. the United
States and Japan. for instance. France,
which has Lived on her fat for some
years past, Is showing considerable hesi-
tation. owing to the difficulty of obtain
ing the necessary funds for new men-of-
war. and the same cause is holding Italy
back. But in every country the marine
department has its plans cut and dried
for the renewed and keen competition
which is now seen to be inevitable.
No power of standing can afford to ig-
more the signs of the times. Germany
is now laying down more men-of-war OF
large size than any other country. In
the present year she Will place IN posi-
sembling the British Dreadnought. bat
tleship- cruiser after the style of the Brit
ish Indomitable, two small cruisers, twelve
torpedo boat destroyers. and 81, 600
will be spent on experiments with subma-
rines Next year and the year after the
same number of vessels will be COM
menced She has one Dreadnought bat
tleship and an armored cruiser, embody-
ing the all-big-gun principle, launched.
and three other Dreadnought battleships
on the building slips and another bat
tleship- cruiser either recently laid down or
about to be laid down. The process OF
fleet expansion in Germany is being con-
Quoted with so much secrecy that exag-
geration Is encouraged.
Impossible Stories Told.
Weirdly impossible stories are contin-
ually being told of what Germany Is doing
or is going to do. The real facts, so far
as they are available. are as stated above.
Her activity has already produced it's in
evitable effect on the United States,
France Russia and Japan. No one in
these countries knows the exact measure
of German progress, and thus the move
ment is growing wi 'hcut adequate cause
throughout the world.
Hitherto the Bit sh naval authori-
ties. in full knowledge of their exist
ing lead and their unrivaled resources
for shipbuildi. g, feve played waiting
game But tn attitude cannot be main
tanned. In the face of the activity OF
other powers in increasing their fleets.
the British admiralty will have to take
DECIDED act1on next year ne govern
ment, through Mr.. Asquith. has af
firmed its determination to maintain the
"two-power' standard. Next spring 1t
will have to justify It's words by Its
acts.
So pronounced has become the condt-
ton Of nervousness. one might almost
say of hysteria, which recent events
have produced in the German press, that
the government has thought 1t advis-
able to print in the Norddeutsche ALI
gemeine Zeitung the appended remar
on the general political situation:
I'm judgment of the political situa-
ton, disquietude often displays itself
which cannot appeal to palpable facts.
but rather has it's origin In wide
spread uncertainty as to whether new
combination might not be formed and
render more difficult peaceable solu-
ton Of pending questions.
Common Interest of Powers.
1T would be mistake to attempt to
deny that difficult diplomatic controver-
sizes might arise. But at the same time
1t should not be forgotten that a bust
nesslike and sound solution. to achieve
which is the common interest of all the
powers is not facilitated by nervous and
enumeration of possible dam
gers.
I'm such times of expectancy as we
are at present living experience has
shown that elements force themselves
into the foreground which take pleas
ure in making mischief. Such times
provide suitable soil for most base
less rumors, and only a cursory glance
at the newspaper is required to con-
vince ones self with what zeal the dis
semination of malicious inventions Is
carried on. German policy has. how
ever special grounds for watchfulness.
as nearly all these rumors are directed
against 1t as their common object OF
attack.
For years we have been accustomed
to being pointed out by Jealous press
men as the real authors of the Russo
japanese war. No wonder that use is
now again made of this stale pervVrS1On
of history, documentary disproOf of
which would be quite easy. AS soon as
questions OF the near east come up we
hear regularly that German advice Is
being applied at Constantinople In order
to put Turkey into a bellicose' temper.
From this it Is not very far to asser-
lions such as that the anarchical condt-
lions in Persia are to be put down to
German account, that we have sent nom
officers as instructors to
that we are seeking to i'm
prove our position by melting the Mo-
hamedan world against Europe. We
are also said to be preparing interven-
ton in Russian Poland, carrying on Sc
cret negotiations with Muley Hafid. and
so on, all untruths, to the support or
which not the slightest fact can be ad-
duced."