New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-08
Expresses Unbounded Admlra-
ton for Taft'S Message on
u. S. Foreign Relations.
WELCOMES GIFTS TO NAVY
Sees Olive Branch in German
Princes Visit and Counts UP
Her Battleships with
Complacency.
tBv Gable TO The Tribune1

were much interested III ficSi"N
Taft's message TO Congress on the lot
eign relations of the United States ana
particularly that part of the message
outlining the general foreign policy o.
the country. This is considered mere
the most important feature OF the mes
sage. and i'm most cases it is polhteu
ont that a quarter of century ago
Americans were so busy at home th9'
tbov we're rather proud of having no
foreign policy at all
The phrase dollars for bullets mas
been generally seized upon as present
ing the problem of international reid-
tious in a striking and powerful way
English papers say that this Is eNcei,
lent advice for other countries as wen
as for the United States. They auu
that there is something more important
even than dollars, which is falr oealiHe
ann,iod between nations as we'll as be-
tween individuals, and that IT Is ms
fortune 10 the world that the efforts ol
President Taft to advance arbitration
have met with so little success IN lie
important cases Of England and france
Il is curious to see at the same 'iiiie
these comments on President 1alI
ncacefuI message and the avidity with
which the public in England has seizeu
an the report that Indian princes ana
sen,i-independent rulers were planning
to contribute a fairly complete navy 10
Englands sea power.
Swallowed the Story Whole
With no substantial foundation for
the report, the public has swallowed
the story whole that the Indian princes
were about to give TO the British navy
three upor-Dreadnoughts and nine
Dreadnought battle cruisers, a fleet
which would cost something like sl2O'-
900 600 With few exceptions the Eng
Usb papers seized on the report and
published it with resounding salvos of
ioy. leaving investigation and consid-
erations of probability to be under
taken later.
side by side with its praise OF
President Taft for his peaceful dis
position. England rejoiced because now
her navy would outnumber that Of
Germany by two TO one. and war would
be welcomed instead of feared.
The Times" however failed TO join
in the universal rejoicing, but first
pointed out the improbability of the
Gift on account of the tremendous bur
den which it would lay on the people
Of India Gas the cost could not be borne
from the private purses Of the Indian
rulers). and then characterized the at
titude which assumed that the gift was
practically an accomplished fact as
being little less than a combined at
tempt to coerce India into an impossi-
BILE expenditure.
"The Times" Pricks Bubble.
At the same time The Times" under
tool, an investigation. and found that
none Of the princes whose names, with
the alleged amount Of their contribu-
tious. had been published with circum-
stantial detail knew anything of the
proposition.
For the last few. days cable dis
matches have been appearing daily IN
the various London papers from Indian
rulers denying all knowledge OF the
nlan. while such evidence as is at hand
points to the probability that the pro-
posal originated with the Bombay
branch Of the Naval League, being
exobably inspired by the gifts Of New
Zenland. Malaysia and Australia 10 the
imperial government, with hopes of
further gifts from Canada, South Africa
and Australia, and it now seems that
.sThe Times's" Characterization Of at
tempted coercion" may be fairly well
founded in fact.
There is another interesting develop
ment i'm connection with this case. Not
only have the English papers praised
President Taft for his peaceful message
while rejoicing in parallel columns at
the hope of being able TO make war on
Germany at her own time, but as soon
as the illusion OF an Indian navy began
TO be dispelled the papers started to
have visions about visit OF Prince
Henry Of Prussia to London. 1t would
have seemed, from some OF the COM
ments on this supposedly contemplated
visit. that simultaneously with the dis
appearance of the Indian navy the
Anglo German question had ceased to
exist. Friends with Germany" Ger
inanys Hand Of Friendship" are ex-
amples Of the newspaper headlines,
while it was assumed that Prince
Henry and King George were about to
negotiate hard and fast offensive and
defensive alliance, guaranteed to unite
i'm permanent bonds Of friendship two
hitherto antagonistic nations as lords
OF the world. with the peace of the uni
verse i'm their grasp. In this beatific
eventuation the recent fright over sup
posed night visits Of the Zeppelin air
ship 10 Sheerness was quite forgotten.
Still To Be Ratified.
Then comes another step in the an
nonncement OF Canada's intention TO
make royal gift to the imperial navy.
This time there can be no mistaking
the genuineness OF the offer. 1t Is true
-. a. Tin ranafDa for the Canadian