The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1908-01-03

ments, to familiarize them with the
waters on both sides of the hemi-
sphere, and incidentally to let the
east know that we have a western
ocean boundary which belongs to us
by as good a title as that by which we
hold the Atlantic seaboard, and that
this western coast will, in an ex.
tremity, be- defended by us with all
the power which we can muster.
Moreover, the president, through the
secretary of the navy has told us
that the cruise was decided on a year
lsago, before the San Francisco incl
ldent came up in troublesome shape,
and thus before the Japanese issue
was thought of. Europe may or may
not accept Washington's words at
their face value, hut no reasonable
person in the United States has any
cause to doubt them. A few demo
Gratis pretend to see some politics in
the cruise. They have attributed it
to a desire on the part of the presi-
dent to create a tension with Japan
which will force his denomination,
Tor which will excite a feeling that
viii give the republican party, under
any candidate, a tremendous majority
in the election of 1908. AS the presi-
dent has voluntarily and emphatically
renowned all idea of accepting a
nomination if it should be rendered
TO him, and as every republican. out
of office as well as in it, believes that
the party will win under any nomi-
nee, the pa~rtisanship pretense will
not get much attention.
However, the st. Petersburg view
of the reason for the cruise of the
feet has something to say for itself.
The balance of power in the Pacific
was seriously disturbed as, a result
of the Overwhelming defeat of Rus
STA as a sea power, the shortening of
her boundary on that ocean, and tbs
rise of Japan into the front rank in
naval strength. We had nothing to
fear from Russia. One of the reasons
why Alaska was transferred to us
forty years ago was that Russia
wanted to take her flag out of North
America, so that all possibility of a
clash with the United States at any
time in the future would be removed.
We have suddenly discovered, what
we ought to have known long ago,
that our naval force in the Pacific
As far below the mark which national
demands. We, are weaker at
this moment, in actual tonnage and
men, in the big western sea than
we were just before the Japanese war
of l904-05. The arrangement under
which nine-tenths OF the country's
entire naval force was in the Allan
tic was faulty. While nobody looks
for any serious trouble with Japan
In the near future, the course Of Wis
dom Is to prepare for any eventual
ity. We must hereafter always have
a powerful feet in the Pacific. The
welfare of u territory in the Philip
pines and in Alaska, to say nothing
OF the safety of Seattle, San Francisco
and the other towns on the coast,
this. Many Of the vessels
which are steaming towards Magel-
lan's Straits today will remain on the
Pacific station permanently. We must
build up a larger navy, so as to be
master of the situation on both
,coSats at all times. The second place
on the roll Of naval powers which
weshave Just gained must be retained
against all competitors, and we must
work constantly upward toward the
first place. For these reasons the
cruise to the Pacific in R%oosevelt's
day will form as important a date
mark in the developmentsof American
sea power as did the law Of 1883 un-
der Arthur. which laid the foundation
of Americas present navy.-Globe-
Democrat.