The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-07-22

newspapers even charge the latter
wfth an attempt to ALLEVIATE the at
fections of King Edwards dominions
beyond the seas.
Ihe Australians have appropriated
about half million dollars for the en-
tertainment Of the fleet and this Is
branded as "extravagant' by the Brit
ish press.
commenting on the visit of the
prince of Wales to Quebec, where he
Will arrive today on the big cruiser In
domitable, the London Daily Mail saws
that this will at least prove to Cana
da that the British navy possesses finer
warships than any which fly the Amer
lean flag. There is no reason" con-
cludes the Mail, "why the Indomitable
and her sisters should not show them
selves at Sydney and Melbourne"
Commenting on the spirit in which
the Australian colonies are preparing
to welcome fleet flying the stars and
stripes, the Daily Mail says:
''The explanation of this outburst of
enthusiasm is probably to be found
in the fact that since the withdrawal
of the British battleship fleet from the
China station, which has left the Brit
ish empire without a single battleship
east of Suez, the Australian people
have felt themselves open to naval
attack. They see in the fleet of the
United States a force capable of Civ
ing protection. 1t would be we'll, how
ever, for Australians to understand
the true causes which led the admir-
atty to recall the British battle
ships. The rapid development of the
continental navies confronted Britain
with these alternatives. She might
greatly increase her navy, and thus
be strong at home, while still main
tanning powerful squadrons in distant
waters. That course would have been
wisest and safest in the long run,
though it's cost would have been great
Or she might obtain allies, economize
in naval construction, and withdraw
her distant fleets, which with a re-
duced navy, she would no longer be
able to spare.
''The second course was taken,
rightly or wrongly, and we may say
frankly that it's results have not been
gratifying to national pride The fail
ure of the British navy to put in a
prompt appearance after the earth
quake at Kingston is now to be fol-
lowed by the assemblage before Aus
tralian crowds of a far more powerful
fleet under az foreign flag than Britain
has ever displayed in Pacific waters.
"The blame, however, for this state
of affairs does not rest entirely with
the people of the United Kingdom.
They annually provide some $16O.OOO,-
900 for the navy. The cost of an eff
cient and powerful Australian squad
ron would be at least $10,O00,000 and
probably considerably more. Yet the
total contribution of Australia to the
navy is only s1,OOO,OO0, while that Of
New Zealand is an additional $780,
600.
"It is impossible for the British navy
to be strong at all points, as the
idealists would wish to see it, unless 1t
receive greater pecuniary support
from the states of the empire. If larger
detachments were made to a distant
point from the present navy, defeat in
Europe would be risked.
australians can see that any serious
blow to the integrity or prosperity of
the mother country would be disaster
to their own commonwealth, and they
will not be inclined to blame the Br1t-
ish admiralty for taking its precautions
to prevent this. But it would be well
next year. if the ships could be spared
from their stations in Europe, were a
powerful British fleet or modern ar
NOR clads dispatched on a voyage tol
the great colonies"