The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-03-31
The ARGUMENT
FOR ARNANENT'S

Journal Of Commerce: Sir Edward
Grey is not alone in the foreboding
that the competition in ornaments
will eventually lead to disaster and
sink the ship of European prosperity
and civilization. Nor is Lloyd George
a voice crying in the wilderness when
he speaks Of the "organized insanity"
OF the armament race and advocates
a reduction of the overwhelming ex-
travagance of British expenditures
on the avy The British chancellor
of the eXchequer expresses the belief
that the amount is propitious for a
reduction Of warlike expenditure on
the part Of Great Britain, and he
argues that his country ought to take
the initiative without waiting for SINH
lar action on the part Of the other
powers. For one thing, British rela-
tons with Germany are much more
friendly than they have been for
lieves that continental nations are
directing their energies more and
more toward the Strengthening of
their land forces, n for a third,
which Lloyd George regards as the
most hopeful eason of all, he per-
cieves a spreading revolt against mill
tary oppression throughout the whole
Of western Europe. But it has been
pointed out, even granting the wis
dom Of d change of British naval
policy based on what may be only a
temporary movement of external re-
%lations, that Lloyd George is wrong
in his contention that the strengthen
ing of the land forces of the continent
tai nations has been proceeding more
rapidly than the increase Of their
navies. AS a matter of fact, since
1900, the year when the great German
navy bill was passed, ava expendi-
ture, not only in Germany, but in other
continental countries a. we'll, has in
creased more and more quickly than
has military expenditure. The mill
tary expenditure of Germany has in
creased in these fourteen years by only
Sd per cent, while her naval expendi-
ture has advanced by 200 per cent.
During the same period the military
expenditure of Austria Hungary mas
increased by only 35 per cent, while
her naval expenditure has grown by
no less than 30S per cent. Since 1900
the military expenditure of Italy has
increased by 6S per cent, but her naval
expenditure has increased by 128 per
cent.
The British argument for the main
tenance Of a navy of p~reponderant
strength runs somewhat as follows:
Great Britain n the British empire
occupy a unique position in. the world.
While the principal towns of the great
continental nations lie far inland, prac-
tically all the principal towns of Bril-
tain as we'll as of the dominions and
colonies lie on the sea That is to say,
while the great military states possess
compact and homogeneous territories
to which no serious damage can be
done by an attack from the sea. the
British empire is the most widely
scattered and most loosely knit and
jointed empire in the world today, n
hence it is the most vulnerable. The
sea is the high road which connects
the widely scattered congerleS of Brit
ish states and provinces. Therefore
the sea is as important to the British
empire as it's roads, railways and riv-
ers are to a country like Germany, n
the freedom of the sea to British ships
is g. vital necessity for the security OF
the empire. Moreover, while the great
military states or Europe produce
most of the food which they require,
and could not be starved into sur
render in case of war, Great Britain is
absolutely dependent for her existence
Upon imported food and raw material.
| Thus it is argued that the British peo-
Pile n the people of the British m
pire must possess a fleet strong
enough to protect the shores OF the
united kingdom, of it's exposed pos
sessions and the imperial trade routes
against any conceivable aggressor and
against any conceivable combination
of hostile powers. There is the addi-
tional argument that the country is
well able to bear the necessary in
crease in naval expenditure and even a
good deal more. 1t appears that the
gross total of British naval expendi-
ture has increased In the course of the