The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-06-16
RACE FOR SEA CONTROL
BT FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.

a tonnage of ISL, JIG, while Germany.s
tonnage would be 6y3,5g9 As a matter OF
fact, France Is adding to her navy more
rapidly than Germany is increasing hers
and when vessels now on the ways are
completed France will rank second IN
naval strength among the powers Of the
world, with the United States third, in
stead Of second, the place she now Oc-
cupies.
but there is a wide gap between Great
Britain and the United States, when it
comes 10 tonnage, for, as against a ton
mage OF 1,669,Ug0 for Great Britain, the
United States has only 6S7. 40. When the
vessels the United States is building are
completed the tonnage viii be increased
to 40, 46s. The British standard for many
years has been a navy stronger than those
of any other two powers combined. The
recent excitement concerning German de-
signs on England has stimulated public
sentiment 70 such an extent that 1t looks
as though England would even undertake
to lay down three keels for every one laid
down by any other power.
Inc excitement growing out OF the sup
posed danger Of German invasion devel-
Oped the proba bility of Great Britain re-
ceiving most substantial additions to her
navy without having TO pay for tnem- The
colony of New Zealand voted 10 build ana
present DTeadnOught TO the mother
country, and 1t is understood tnat canada
will build a navy OF eight cruisers, ten
torpedo boats and as many desToyers- A
colonial warship, guarding the coast OF a
British colony. would leave d British war
ship free to form one of the guardline
about the mother country.
II has been stated that a blockade OF
English ports for three weeks would bring
the country to a state of starvation, so
dependent is England UPON the constant
exchange Of her manufactured products
for food supply. That England appre-
ciates this fact Is demonstrated by the size
of her home fleet, consisting OF tWenty-siX
avn rod 1asala Nrrnf n IL
side of over 10000 pounds. The German
fleet in the North sea consists of twenty
four aTmOred ships, which can fire but
5000 pounds at a broadslde-
The British home fleet is always in com
mission, ready to 20 into action on no
tiCe, while several OF the German vessels
airs in commission but a part OF each
year. The British vessels of the home
fleet mount hundred guns of tWelve-lnch
cahber it is stated, while the German
fleet carries forty guns OF eleven-lnch Cali
iber. The ten armOred ships of the Brit
ish Atlantic fleet, always IN commission,
could be quickly added 10 the home fleet,
making thirty-siK battleships to be used
against Germanys twenty-five, If neces-.
sary.
In case Of a war between Germany and
England, both countries would keep their
armies at home ana on the alert Eng
land would probably blockade the German
navy. while maintaining close watch that
a German cruiser did not slip out ana
smash British commerce. German COM
merce would. of course, suffer great dam
age if not humiliation, but owing to her
position and the extent Of the empire, this
would not hurt Germany so severely as
such blow inflicted upon England would
njure that country. Germany Is more
nearly a match for England in point OF
torpedo boats than in battleships; indeed,
the number in each navy is approximately
the same. and il is asserted by British
authorities that the Geman boats are OF
old of
draft which would enable them to enter
waters in which they could not be reached
by British battleships of the blOCkading
might slip out on a dark nigh.
and effect terrible damage to British ship
ping before they could be oveThauled anC
sunk.
Lord Nelson said that one Englishman
was worth three FrenChmen aboard man
o war. But the instinct of the sea, such
as the British people possessed over those
of any other nation in the old days, ana
which was 50 necessary then to the up
building of a great navy, Is not now es-
sential. Through the substitution Oh
steam for sails, the introduction OF the
armOrclad, and the crOwding of the hulls
of waTships with machinery, much of it
operated with electricity as the motive
the training school of Annapolis, or Of
the etraining school for officers Of the
navy Of any other nation, must be an ex-
pert machinist, a teChnOlOgist and d sci
enlist. He must be able to build the most
complicated engine and to install and Op-
crate every kind of electrical machinery.
His profession is purely scientific.
the Germans are regarded as about the
most scientific people in the world
About fifty years ago Germany had pUr-
chased a number Of ships and was max
ing such progress in creating navy tina
England grew Jealous of the growth of
sea-pOWer right at her doors So the Brit
ish government informed the Confederate
assembly at FrankfOrt, that the German
flag was unknown on the seas, and that
vessel flying it was liable to be seized
and treated as pirate Germany prompt
IL called her warships home and sold
them. That was in 1852 Nothing could
more strikingly illustrate the growth of
Germany as a sea-power, power which.
in this year Of grace, is causing English
men to lie awake at night. fearing
descent upon their coasts by this very
power which was not a power considerably
less than half a century ago.
Copyright, 1909, by Frederic J. Haskinj
Tomorrow-Eclipse of the sun.