New-York tribune., 1910-07-25
ENGLAND AND GERMANY
Admiral Mahan's Warming
Playing with War.
London, July II

VII ISODSeFtiL IIlS AAAtCA SfittDtt IN BRIT
ish naval affairs has not been resented
by sensitive Radicals. either as an IN
friendly act or as a bit OF irresponsible
mischief making. II he has not spoken
from the platform Of the GuildhaH on
an International occasion Of supreme In
portance he has commanded the atten-
ton of the United Kingdom through tia
columns OF "The Daily Mail" and Ike
Mr.. Roosevelt he has sounded warn
ing against grave nniscaIculations in "a
tionaI policy
In the general chorus Of approval there
have been a few strident and dissonaut
notes like the sharply accentuatsd dfs-
cords in the rushing swirl Of Richard
Strauss's symphonic music; but on the
whole the Little EngIanders have been
mercifu1 and have not condemned the
unmannerIy foreigner for u1eddllng IN
what does not concern him Nobody
ventures 70 impesch his testimony az
ignorant and unscientific, "a Mr. Rooss-
velt's warning respecting Egypt was rid-
icuied not long ago as hastily crsmmed
TRADE from a Cooks tourist after fv-
ing visit. Admiral Nahan's authority in
naval controversies protects him against
vulgar abuse.
The admirars letter. after being print-
ed twice In The Daily Mali and COM
rnented upon by nearly every important
journal in the kingdom, has been re-
published in pamphlet form and Is ike
" to have immense influence Cnlika
Mr.. Blatchford's hysterical articles on
the German menace, il fs not brought out
in the heat Of an exciting general cleo
ton. but during an interval of rsposs
following the change Of reign when on
the Kings initiative political strife has
been suspended and secret conferences
Is striving to effect a statesmanLiks set
tIement of constitutional issues
II cannot be brushed aside with Tar-
tisan contempt as a panicmongers at
tempt to Dragon the masses into voting
against the government. II expresses
the deliberate Judgment OF a laborious
investigator OF the influence Of sea
power in history. and in the friendliesc
possible way warns Englishmen that
their vaunted supremacy is boldly cfal-
lenged and IS in imminent danger l.
lays bare the really vulnerable point in
the nations armanents- ~ IS not ths
weakness of the scientific mechanism of
war. but "the apparent indisposition and
sIackness Of Ire new voters as against
the resolute spirit and tremendous fs-
Guilty for organizing strength evident in
Germany"
This vigorous and outspoken criticism
from an admiring friend is likely 70 he
as effective as Mr. RoOsevelt's trenChant
admonitfons, respecting Egypt There
Will be naval preparations on a large
scale. Admiral Nahan has demonstrated
that the rapid construction Of the rival
feet in Germany has involved the con-
centratfon of British naval resources in
home waters, the abandonment Of pre-
dominance in the Mediterranean and in
the Near East and the wea keninS o. tho
chain of communications linking together
the seIf-governing states Of the empire.
The conclusion from these startling
premises is that preparations for I'M
psria1 defence are neglected because the
country is not willing 20 pay for them
and to make the necessary sacrifices IL
taxation At this point the naval mar
tinets intervene in force When voters
are held responsible for defective arTua-
ments and unreadiness for war say the
quarterback critics. there are practical
methods Of vindicating their reputation
for patriotism. They can let their reD-
resentatives in Parliament know that
they insist upon having more ships. moro
men. more guns and more money for sea
power If the supplies are held back,
more vigilant and less nissardly menl-
bers Will be sent to Westminster u
double or treble the appropriations FOR
the navy.
That is the blue sea method Of pre-
sentlng the case without reference either
TO the resources of the Treasury or 70
the exhaustion of taxpayers Practical
politicians. however have no idea OF
CARRYING naval swagger too far. They
know that the processes of naval con-
struction have never been So rapid as az
present, and that the Admiralty eXpend'-
lures are unexampIed- Their complaint
is that the government is not borrowing
money for imperial defence as Germany
has been doing freely ever since work on
the new navy was begun. They call for
a national loan OF c50.00o00o, or even
e1OO. 0OO. .O0o for the maintenance -
British supremacy on the high seas
They clamor for the suspension or tho
existing sinking fund arrangements ard
the concentration Of Treasury resources
and credit upon the supreme task os
regaining ascendancy in sea power.
With an indefinite expansion OF bor-
rowing powers they VIII provide the sup
plies for laying down two keels IN every
class for every one in Germany. fOr con-
structing docks and bases on the North
Sea and for putting the empire in stats
of absolutely secure defence. That is tho
goal which the working politicians have
in view: a naval loan which Will PIC
British against German financial re-
sources and defer 10 another generation
the full weight Of paying for the arrna~
ments The Unionists viii be certain 10
introduce this policy whenever they re-
turn TO power: and the Liberals are rap
idly approaching it
Admiral Mahan's warning was de-
signed to Overcoms the reluctance &C
overtaxed voters to make additional sac
rifices for imperial defence. Its practl-