The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-07-09

/
| cies OF every maritime nation. Its
building has made the British navy
| fear for It's traditional supremacy.
unquestl0ned and unquestionable for
hundred years. 1t made all ex-
listing bGtlleshlps obsolete or obso-
lescent 1t forced the Jealous ma.
tions TO build new and costlier navies.
IL levied new and heavier taxes upon
the toners or every considerable ma
| tion IN the world Since that ship
was launched the word Dread
nought" has possessed the minds and
souls Of all the naval experts, all the
diplomatists. and all the gossips of
international political life
At the beginning OF this year there
were twelve battleships OF the Dread
nouGht and super class
! In commission. Seven OF them are
British. two are German. two belongs
10 the United States and one 10 Japan.
At the end Of this year the total will
be almost doubled, reaching twenty
one. OF these there will be ten Brit
ish. five German, four American and
two Japanese. II ships now building
are completed on schedule time. tho
end OF 1911 win see no less than
forty OF these huge fighting machines
afoat: fourteen under the British
flag, nine under command OF the
German Emperor. six under the Stars
and Stripes. six under the Rising
Sun OF Japan, four under the tri-color
Of the French Republic, ane ono bear
Ing the green banner of Brazil The
next year, 1912. less than three years
hance, the number or Dreadnoughts
and all-oig-gun super-Dreadnoughts
VIII have been increased TO sixty-sev-
en-. provided all ships now building
and ordered for that time are com
pleted, No estimate is made of pos
sible future orders. II requires
little more than two years, at the
best, to complete ono OF those ships.
The present plans extend only to the
end of 1912. and II Is impossible to
predict what VIII happen after At
that time the sixty-seven Dread
noughts will be divided: twenty Brit
ish. thirteen German. eight Ameri-
can. seven Japanese. eight French
four Russian, two Austrian. two ltal-
Ian, two Brazilian and one Argentine
BY the end of 1913 Germany probably
will have caught up with Great Brit
ain In the race and each nation will
have twenty-five mammoth ships arm
ed with big guns of long range. When
that time comes the British suprem-
acy of the seas Is no longer TO be
accepted as a matter OF course
This does not take into account,
however. the British colonial naval
plans. which have not yet crystalized
1t may be that action will be taken
In time to add three or four other
Dreadnoughts to this list, represent
ing Australia, New Zealand, South
Africa and Canada In passing Il may
be mentioned that the high British
admiralty authority responsible for all
these figures expresses the belief
that the Japanese program as publish
ed probably falls far short OF the
actual facts. II the American navy
would keep pace with the Japanese
In the matter of Dreadnoughts. II Is
believed in London that the Washing.
ton naval program must be increased
from two to four ships a year.
Interesting as this may be TO the
gossips of world politics, it Is even
more interesting TO the taxpayers of
these nations, who must pay from ten
TO fourteen million dollars for each
one of these ships placed In commits
sion. taking no account of the cost
of maintaining them. and disregard
ing the scores OF older ten-million-
dollar ships made obsolete
Thus the fear of the DTeadnought
chills two great political worlds
that international circle in which is
always iminent, and that domestic
political circle In which the question
OF taxation is always uppermost Eng
land will vote heavier taxes 10 keep
up the race. for IL is a matter OF
life and death for Britain. There ls
no alternative Said Sir Edward
Grey, the British minister OF foreign
affairs. explaining the position Of the
British government
The great countries OF Europe are
raising enormous revenues, and some
thing like one-balf of them is being
spent on naval and military prepara-
tions. You may call 1t national IN
surance. that is perfectly true; but
1t IS equally true that one-half Of the
national revenue OF the great coun-
tries OF Europe is being spent on
what are, after all preparations to
kill each other. Surely the extent to
which this expenditure has grown
really becomes a satire and a reflec-
ton upon civilization Not In our
generation. perhaps: but II It goes on
at the rate at which II has recently
Increased, sooner or later | believe.
IL will submerge that civilization. The
burden already shows Itself In the
national credit. sooner or later 1t
must lead to national bankruptcy"
While thus deplorlng the ruinous
competition Of the nations. Sir Ed.
ward Grey goes on TO state the Brit
ish position: IF We alone among the
great powers gave up the competl-
, tion and sink Into a position OF In
fcriority. what good should we do?
None whatever. no good TO ourselves
because we cannot realize great Ideals
OF social reform at home when we
are holding our existence at the NOR
cy. at the caprice, If you viii. OF an
other nation. That Is not feasible. II
we fall Into a position OF inferiority
our self-respect is gone. We should
fall Into a state OF apsthy; We should
censc 10 count for anything among the
nations OF Europe; and we should be
fortunate II our liberty were left and
we did not become the copscrlpt ap-
pendage OF some stronger power. That
Is a brutal way OF stating the case.
| but II is the truth"
This WAS spoken, be Il remembered
| by the chief diplomatic officer OF the
! British empire. man belonging 10
the peace party. man never ranked
with the Jingoes. man who strong