Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-22
Editor of Scientific American
Points Out the Result of Our
Policy of Ignoring the DAN
gers Which May Confront Us.
Dreadnought's Advent Changes
Naval 0utIook--We Are Now
Behind Germany and Likely to
Fall Below Japan and France.

In its current issue the Scientific
American prints an Illuminating ar
ticIe by its editor on THE Decline of
the U. S. Nduy to Thhd-CIdsS Rank"
Ercerps from the article fOHOtc:
Better than any learned treatise
could have done. the events of the
Spanish war taught the American
people the value of a preponderance
of sea power. When Dewey crumpled
up the Spanish feet at Manila and
Sampson strewed the southern coast
Of Cuba with the burning wreckage
of Cervera's squadron, the decisive
influence Of sea power always recog-
ni7ed by the naval EXPERT, became
self evident even to the man in the
street
The effect of this object lesson
upon the country at large and its
representatives, in Congress was i'm
mediate. Proud of its navy and the
international prestige which followed
upon it's victories, and realizing that
what the navy had won a strong
navy alone could keep, Congress lent
a willing ear to its technical advisers,
and Systematically and most literally
set itself to the task of building up
navy that should be equal to heavy
responsibilities.
Stood Second.
Our navy grew, and within half
dozen years of the conclusion of
peace it stood second in strength,
with a commanding lead over that of
Germany. having as its first fighting
line not less than % first-class bat
tleships built or under construction,
to say nothing of eleven armored
cruisers-the latter a type which ia
pan, not many months before, had
not hesitated to place in the first line
at the great battle of Tsushima.
In 1905, which found our navy in
such commanding position, there
was built in England a new type of
battleship. the "dreadnought," des
tined to work revolution in the rel
alive standing of the navies of the
world, by RELOCATING all existing bat
tleships to the second line.
Unfortunately Congress failed to
appreciate the serious nature of the
crisis; and at the very time when APP
preparations should have been in
creased to meet the new conditions
they were reduced, with the result
that our first line of battle (and that
means the navy, so far as the win
ming OF decisive engagements IS con-
cerned) has sunk to the third rank,
with France and Japan pushing us
very closely for pre- eminence.
A New Day Has Dawned.
The day has gone when the ability
of nation to win great naval war
can be measured in terms of its ma
terial wealth and it's undisciplined
courage The modern development of
the technical arts, to which this
country has contributed so greatly,
has put heavy discount upon mere
wealth and courage, and has set
heavy premium upon the material in
struments of war-the 14-inch gun,
the telescope sight, the torpedo, the
destroyer and the submarine!
But the man behind the gum" Yes,
we have a good man behind the gun,
but so has Germany, so has Japan.
The 14-inch rified gun, sending its
high explosive shell unerringly to the
mark across five miles Of water, is
no respecter of persons.
The stalwart American gun pointer