East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-10-29
WHAT SORT Of NAVAL POWER
DOES THE UNITED STATES NEED
BY PROF. WILLIAM LEDYARD
CATHCART

BY PROF. WILLIAM LEDYARD
CATHCART.
Former American Naval Officer, Who
is Generally Regarded as the Sue
cessor Of the late Admiral Mahan
as a Writer on Naval Topics
The United States is the richest Of
nations, with a present wealth Of
nearly $l5O.000, ,000.C Owing to its
vast extent Of coast line, it is the most
vulnerable OF all the great powers. In
the Panama canal, 1t holds the key
to the Pacific ocean. Its outlying
possessions in the ocean-Alaska. Ha-
waii, Guam, Samoa and the Philip
pines-are in themselves the lands Of
an empire In the Caribbean Sea and
the Northern Pacific we hold strategic
positions which dominate those wa
ters In the Monroe Doctrine we as
sert a policy which has been stigma
tibed as an Incredible impertinence"
TO the European world In the open
door-now closing fast-we challenge
not only Japan. but every nation
which secures a foothold territory on
Chinese soil In this twentieth CEN
tury-with its flagrant disregard of
neutrality treaties, of Hague cOnven-
tons and Of many OF the principles
OF international law-what should be
an adequate navy for a country hold
ing such vast possessions and asserting
such worldwide doctrines?
Important questions as to the am
cunt and character Of our naval ex-
pansion confront. not so much the Of
fioers Of our navy as the administra-
ton. congress and the people whose
will both the executive and Legislators
represent An unfit answer, in in
adequate preparation now, may be
grave with menace to the future OF
America. In substance. these prob
lens are:
England is now throttling both our
trade with neutrals and the great in
crease in our merchant marine TO car
ry on that trade, which otherwise this
war would bring. Should we aim to
maintain a navy capable of disputing
her mastery Of the sea and Of making
this restraint impossible hereafter
Failing this. should We have a ma
val force sufficient at least to guard
fully every foot Of territory which We
now hold in both oceans-that is, a
fleet So strong that it can be divided
and one section kept permanently in
the Pacific
or letting the Philippines, Hawaii
and Alaska take their chances Of cap
ture in sudden war with an Oriental
power. should We maintain only a
single fleet. trusting 10 its sufficiently
rapid transfer to protect the Pacific
coast In time Of need
An attempt to compete with Great
britain in naval strength would be fl
extravagant and politically
at this time The cost of
her fleet has been great During the
last decade. nearly two billions Of dol
lars have been spent upon it-and
very wisely. as results have shown
As TO our international relations
for a hundred years America has felt
Eo menace from British command of
the sta. Four times during that per
iod. war between the two nations has
threatened. but in each case the cris-
is was averted by sane and skillful di'
plomacy. Throughout the existence
Of the Monroe Doctrine, England has
tacitly acquiesced in its policy and in
two treaties she has given it quasi
recognition.
In any great war like the present
she must depend largely on the Unit
cd states for supplies Of all kinds.
Her chief dominion lies open TO at
tack on our northern border And.
finally. there are those still more po-
tent reasons. the interests of the two
nations racial. social and commerce
ai-which are mingled So inextrica-
hly as to make future wars between