The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-07-29
THE VAST ARMADA
Of GREAT BRITAIN

LONDON, July 4-The British army
may be peace establishment requir,
ing constant reconstruction, but the
navy is organized for war and is ready
for it. The greater part of the Ad-
niralty's resources of sea power has
been concentrated this week for ex-
perimental practise. This has been
done with remarkable celebrity and pre-.
cision. The home feet of over three
hundred vessels which is leaving Deal
today for the Firth of Forth has been
modified with amazing facility and
dispatch, and is ready to defend the
country against the enemy, represented
by the Channel feet and the first
cruiser squadron, which have been
strengthened by portion of the At,
lantic fleet and a special service squad,
ron.
There will be tactical exercises dur.
ing the first week and strategicaI ma.
neuvers during the following ten days.
Fleets equally powerful have never
been massed in peace or war under a
single flag. Every vessel not already
commissioned was ready for service in
a few hours, with crew, provisions and
ammunition. The fleets when mobile
ed represented the maximum efficiency
of sea power, with the best types of
every kind of destructive mechanism,
from battleship and cruiser to destroy
ers, submarines, torpedo boats and
mine layers.
The maneuvers viii be conducted
without newspaper correspondents to
describe them. This prohibition has
become necessary. less for the avoid,
ance of the betrayal of secrets of sham
warfare than for the suppression of
feuds in the service. Every naval ex.
pert IS partisan either of Sir John
Fisher or Lord Charles Beresford, and
in secret alliance with one admiral or
the other. Decks are cleared of cor
respondents so that fractional warfare
may have less publicity Several ad-
mirals and sea lords are not on speak.
ing terms, and their grievances are
taken up zealously by their subordi,
mates.
The British navy can be rapidly
modified, but it can hardly be said to
be prepared for war when the service
is honeycombed with jealousies and
feuds. The strategy, as indicated by
the bases and golfers, is an attack by
Lord Charles Beresford from Danish
waters upon some fleet under Admiral
Bridgeman at Rosyth. This passage of
the North Sea points to Germany as
a possible enemy, as did last year 8
maneuyers in another quarter. Ger
many virtually adopts the same proce-
dure in conducting the military maneu-
vers near the French frontier.
These points of strategy are not of.
fensive, and are less discouraging than
the bewildering action of various gov
ernments in Withholding sanction from
many of the thirteen conventions
adopted by the second peace confer.
ence at The Hague. England s rejec-
tion of the convention for an interna>
tional prize court is almost unaccount-
able when Sir Edward Fry and the
British delegates considered it the
main accomplishment of the congress.
The Indifference of the powers to the
adopted after prolonged
at The Hague indicates that
the best results will be obtained from
the practise of arbitration rather than
from international congresses.
America and England are setting the
example in the Newfoundland arbitra
ton This has been deferred tenn,
porarily, not through the fault of the
American government, but from the
embarrassments of the British govern
ment in being forced to consult Canada
and Newfoundland The modHs viven,
di will naturally be prolonged until the
British case is ready and the prelim1-
naries of the arbitration can be ar
ranged. l. n. f.