The Washington herald., 1908-04-26
- ~ clnrlEIel.

Now. how shall this demonstration OF
our naval strength be interpreted? We
cannot do better than quote Senator
Hale's own language on this point:
Il shows navy 50 large that you may divide j
In twO, and larger navy vii be lgft on the Pacific
coast than the entire feet that Is now making III
way up that coast. and another great feet very con
s.deTably larger. with all Of the smaller ships con
nec'ed with IT, more than thirty in ALL making az
immense home squadron. if I may use that phrase
as applied 10 the Atlantic feet rather than the
Pacific, although they are both actually home squad
T0ns.
II viii leave on the Atlantic coast as our feet
facing toward Europe much larger feet than that
which 5 now in Pacific waters aud il win leave in
Pacific waters for the protection Of the Pacific coast
which ] acknowledge We ought 10 protect, another
feet larger than the entire Feet that is now upon
that coast.
We would have fifteen big battle shius on the
Pacific the same number that are now in the feet
We would have sixteen big battle ships in the At
lante. and We would have seven enormous cruisers
as large as battle ships in the Pacific and eight
more on the Atlantic. and in addition TO all that
we would have all Of the monitors, all Of the pro
tected cruisers and al of-the gun boats aggegstng
tonnage Of over @o000.
Il do not think there is any squadron OF snv ua-
ton aside from her home squadron in her home
ports that is as large the squadron We VIII then
have. OF the feet. whatever you may cal IT, in the
Pacific. So the Senators from that region WHO are
naturally desirous Of protecting their own coasts.
need have no apprehension that if the programme
sent to Us from the House is carried cut they will
be left in the lurch"
We agree with the Senator that he has
made a perfect answer to the assertion
that either the Atlantic or the Pacific
Coast is without adequate naval protec-
tion, and that It is necessary to embark
on a programme of naval construction
that will increase the battle-ship feet
to forty-eight ships of the line. The fact
is that with our twenty-five completed
battle ships we are fit for naval warfare
with any nation. except Great Britain
and possibly Germany. two powers with
which conflict is about as far removed
as war with the Martians. Mr. Hobson
would have US maintain a navy more
than the equivalent Of England's fifty
odd battle ships. The more moderate big
navy men urge that we should keep pace
with or ahead of Germany in naval
strength, but why should It be thought
the height of naval wisdom to regard as
a possible enemy one Of our best friends
among the nations? Or that we should
match ourselves against Germany in
shipbuilding contest, while Great Britain
is and viii always remain the pre-
pOnderant naval power? II would appear
that, If our ambition is TO become a
dominant instead of a merely independent
power. as We have been in the past, Mr..
Hobson has logic on his side.
But the war talk all squints at Japan.
and respecting that rising power Mr..
Hale's figures show that we are fully pre-
pared for any naval adventure in the
Pacific we may see ft TO engage in. This
being the case, what becomes of the
hullabaloo about the danger of a Japanese
invasion Of our Pacific littoraI. or the
silly and unpatriotie intimations that we
are about as helpless as China? What of
the invitation TO aggression upon an
opulent nation implied in a naval force
OF forty-six armorclads9 In the light of
the facts, the fears and apprehensions of
Hobsonian Congressman are as unwar-
ranted as they are fantastic. We shall
abide IN peace with two battle ships or
without them, and it Is about time to stop
big-navy Mysteries, seeing that We have
a tolerably big navy If we don't lay an
other keel.