The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-06-17
Forcible Acquisition Of New Colonies
in Africa Must Now be Paid
For In
Full.
BUILDING NEW SHIPS
Program for Navy ls an Extensive
One and There Is Much
Enthusiasm BY
tho People.

IBy Henry Wood. Rome correspond
ent of the United Press.]
ROME, June 17.-Italy has just be-
gun paying fresh penalty for her
forcible acquisition in Africa Of the
two Turkish colonies OF Tripon and
Cyrenaica.
This Ii the necessity OF a naval
rivalry with France for the suprem-
acy OF the Mediterranean that prom
ises to equal the present almost nation
destroying contest between Germany
and England, in as far at least as the
lesser financial abilities OF the two
smaller countries will permit. The
first step In this contest has lust been
taken by Italy in the launching OF a
naval program for the next two years
that by the end OF 1914 will have re-
quilted in an increase in its navy OF
over one-third of Its present strength.
Ever since the formation OF the
present kingdom of italy fifty years
ago, the maintaining OF the naval
supremacy of the Mediterranean has
ever been one of Its greatest ambi-
lions. and, according to It's leading
statesmen, one of Its greatest neces-
stiles. Italy. they point ode, Is essent-
tally maritime country. Over two
thirds Of It's borders, comprising some
$500 miles, are open to the sea, and
open as consequence to the naval
attacks and military landings of its
enemies. Italy. according to them,
can only be safe with naval force
that will enable her at all times to
dominate the Mediterranean.
This necessity has now been doub-
led by the forcible annexation of
Tripoli and Cyrenaica. Both of these
colonies on the northern coast of
Africa present coast line longer
than that OF the north African pos
sessions of any other European power.
In addition Italy has the two flour
ishing little colonies OF Erytrea and
Somaliland on the Red sea and with
all of her possessions thus open to
naval attack, to say nothing OF her
home coast, she has tackled the navy
building problem with an ardor and
enthusiasm that promises to be limit
ed only by the financial possibilities
of the country.
Italy's only two rival for this
supremacy of the Mediterranean are
Austria and France While England,
Germany and Russia will probably at
all times have navies that will be
vastly superior to anything which
Italy may ever hope to attain, yet all
of these powers are so vitality oc-
cupfed with the defense OF their home
coast lines that the Mediterranean
gives them little concern. Even were
one OF them to make direct war
against Italy, 1t would be at all times
necessary to leave such large fleet
at home that 1t is considered unlike
" any of them could send fleet into
the Mediterranean superior to that
of Italy.
The actual contest therefore is con
fined to the Mediterranean countries
themselves. OF these, Austria has
merely got started on It's naval pro
gram and italy is already SO far ahead
of 1t that the rivalry will probably be
always confined to France and Italy
Unfortunately for Italy, France JUS
now has navy vastly superior, an6
while it will at all times be necessar!
for that power to divide this force II
order to protect its Atlantic seaboard
to say nothing of it's African posses
sions, Italy is making no bones Of tn,
fact that it will never be satisfied un
til Its naval power equals or exceed
the concentrated naval strength 0
France.
At the present time Italy figures /
has 100 fighting units that meet all o
the requirements of modern naval wal
fare. She has in addition, as have al
of the other powers, a goodly collec
ton of war vessels more or less ar
tiquated, but In figuring its presen
strength no vessel is taken into cor
sideration that was launched late
than 1897.
The present fleet, on this basis
consists of Is battleships, one dread
nought, nine smaller ironclads, min
cruisers, one explorer. twenty-five
torpedo boat destroyers, forty-thre
torpedo boats, and fifteen submarine!
BY the end of 1914, however, thi
strength will have been augmented b
more than one-third and the navy a
that time will include five NOR
dreadnoughts, three new battleshipi
FIVE of the smaller ironclads, two NOR
explorers, four more torpedo boat d.
stroyers, twenty-six torpedo boats
four submarines but with a decrease j
the number of cruisers, as two of til
present ones will be relegated to tn
scrap pile.
This will bring the naval strengt
of Italy up to what that of Franc