The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-02-25
DISARMAMENT CAN
NEVER CONE ABOUT
Admiral Won Rooster, Grand Old
Man of the German Navy
Tells Why.

BERLIN, February s.--Admiral Won
Rooster, the "Grand Old Man" of the
German fleet, who, in his capacity of
president of the navy league, acts as
the moderating hand of the govern
ment on that organization and restraints
it from impolitic candor, if not from
excess of zeal, explained in a speech
at Kiel what may be regarded as the
official attitude in this country towards
the question of disarmament. He said:
l have recently occupied myself
great deal with this theme, and read
with interest all the articles upon it,
and I can only say that 1 have not
found a single article in which there
was so much as single tangible point
in the way of practical proposal. 1t
is said that we must disarm. Now, in
the first place, the assumption would,
in my opinion be that only the one who
is absolutely the stronger can disarm.
But he doesn't do it. The vanquished
can disarm. 1t is about the hardest
condition that the victor can impose
when he says to the vanquished, eds
arml' and the German nation knows
that better than anyone else, when it
looks back to the beginning of the 10th
century and observes how much bit
terness and how much hatred this COM
pulsory disarmament calls forth.
Then there is the third idea, that of
international disarmament That sounds
very nice, but what does it meant In.
ternational disarmament can only take
place among all nations, for we are not
building a fleet against any one oppo-
nent, but against anyone who may at.
tack us. Consequently, international
agreement between all nations would
be necessary. Now do you believe that
today the japanese and Russians, Turks
and Greeks, would be able to agree as
to the determination of the strength of
their ieets7 Do you believe that would
ever be possible. We should have to
have permanent conference which
would decree, "One of you has from
today the right to procure so many
ships. Another one can now build one
more torpedo-boat, because his COM
mercial interests have extended and his
exports have increased by so-and.so
much. -" AT any rate, for me- interna-
tional disarmament is an absolutely
nebulous idea, for which can not OBJ.
tain calculation. We have no scale by
which disarma mnnt cnnld ha raoula+ad
International disarmament would only
mean the crippling of free development.
A fourth method of disarmament might
be found by way of alliance. But when
one wants an ally he must be strong
and bring something with him, either
an army or a navy. And alliances are
not of eternal duration. They are here
today and gone tomorrow, and the pol
itical horizon is continually changing.
But what about the development of
a fieeta A feet is so complicated an
apparatus that decades-I might almost
say half a century-is necessary for its
full development Even then one can
build ships quickly, the organization
and development of the system require
many years Even with an alliance one
would have to furnish and develop and
perfect n fleet for the eventuality of
fresh complications That is my opin-
ion on the disarmament question.
The opinion Of Admiral Won Rooster
is that of most of the comparatively
few politically influential persons in
Germany. There is much meaning In
these words of the admiral for those
who can read them Alright.
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