The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-31
Kansas Comment
NAVAL POWER.

The present war has already demon
strated one thing beyond . rea0onable
doubt. While land operations are yelled
and censored. the situation at So 10
fairly plain, and the lesson It teaches II
the inestimabIe advantage Of = power
ful navy. This much OF the situation 10
made clear: That German and Austrian
shipping has practically disappeared
from the seven seas, while that OF the
allies approaches normal condition. exc
cept in the Baltic. German steamship
companies. including several Of the
largest in the world. have withdrawn
their advertising from American papers,
and their great liners and larger fleets
OF tramps and merchantmen have either
fallen az prixes to the foe or are tied up
IN home or neutral ports. Meanwhile
the great British liners are announcing
regular transatlantic sai1ingo. a. are
the French lines. and the great British
commerce to the Orient pursues tts
wonted course. The only answer IL the
stupenduous naval power Of Great Brit
ain, the floating ramparts which give q
sense OF security at home. and protect
the sea lanes for British ships. A Lon
oon paper OF q date since the war began
seems far less excited over the situation
than many an American publication.
All Of which carries its lessons for
Americans. This country il far less de-
pendent on commerce than IL tho
United Kingdom. being somewhat self
sustaining, but the advantage OF .
great navy In times Of stress Is scarcely
less important. We have a far longer
coast line to protect, should 1t come to
| that. and the best and cheapest protec-
ton, expensive as 1t is. must be upon
the water. Our navy approaches Sec
ond rank, and any effort to let 1t sink
below that rank looks like false econ
omy in the light of recent events. The
era of universal peace hasn't arrived,
W S.f teal tai
best preserved by J. formidable fleet
| Atchison Globe.
F.! FOOLISH TRADING"
As producers and builders. the Amer
lean people excel all previous civiliza.
ton and We are a present-day mar
vel In business efficiency. but in deal
ing with foreign countries we are .
sorry lot of traders. Every since Will
liam Penn traded the Indiana a handful
OF trinkets for what IL now the state OF
Pennsylvania. the American people
have been selling their birthright to
foreigners |,r mess OF pOttage, 50
| to speak. We export over $50 900 900 Of
cattle and their products per annum.
which feeds the nations Of Europe, and
our American hefresses spend q similar
sum In buying and maintaining counts,
dukes and titled peerages. These for
elgn noblemen are, as a rule. absolutely
Wortniess-infact become perpetual
liabiiity-for 1t costs more money to
operate and keep them in repair than 1t
does to run our cotton mills. European
royalty puts the black sheep of its
families on the block and our rich
American girls buy them and we vir-
tually exchange railroads, wheatflelds
and millions of dollars worth OF prod
ucts OF farm. mine and factory for
titled paupers who could not be resold
for any sum. 1t does not require for
eign treaties, a fleet Of war vessels or
tariff revision to stop this enormous
loss. 1t needs only common sense in
the homes Of the rich. We export S1s,-
. 100000 of lumber and timber. and
American tourists spend a similar
, amount in, motoring over Europe and
, tsf8ht-seeinEu in foreign lands aithouGl,
fthel most enchanting scenes Of the
} world are on the American continent
. Newton Kansan-Republican.