New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-24

the President and Congress, showing that the
appraised value OF the taxable property in the
states OF Washington and Oregon alone cX-
ceeded 81, 100, 100000. Alaska is now yielding
annually about six times its purchase price OF
S72SO0O0 and its enormous resources have
been but scratched. AS to the Philippines
that "rnilitary blunder' OF their critics-they
form. with their population of 100000, their
trade possibilities their hardwoods, their agri-,
cultural resources and their command OF South
eri, China and the East Indies, rich territory
for which most great powers would gladly go
to war. Incomprehensible America, on the
contrary, internationally proposes to leave the
group to its own feeble devices or to those
of any grasping nation which may seize it.
This is national self-abnegation' raised to
the limit
The richest portion OF our continental PACING
territory is that which is most exposed to bonn
ba.dment. blockade and invasion. So tar as
ADEQUATE defences CO. it is the weakest part OF
the whole frontier of this Republic. On the en-
tire coast we have but one great naval base
that on Puget Sound, whose incomplete iacili-
ties are growing slowly. In the eastern North
Pacific Ocean we own every strategic point but
three, and the development OF but one, Pearl
Harbor, near Honolulu, is proceeding. In the
Philippines the only position which could hold
for time aga:ns, attack is the little island of
Corregidor in Manila Bay. The destiny of ma
TORS has given the United States commercial
and military opportunities without parallel on
and in the North Pacific Ocean Thus far these
opportunities and their attendant dangers have
t...1 80 br COporecc
OUR FLOCK OF SHEEP" ON THE
PACIFIC.
III considering our possible dangers IN the
Pacific Ocean the Russo Japanese War teaches
instructive lessons The fundamental reasons
for Russia's defeat in that conflict were Lick
of preoaraton Of her fleet for war, made
ouate eouiprrert of her naval base, Port Ar
thur. and the failure to concentrate her naval
strength in the Far East, so that it was
whipped in detal-frst the Port Arthur feet
and then that which under Rojestvensky
steamed out from the Baltic.
All OF these conditions exist to-day with re-
gard to our navy and its probable enemies. 1t
is gravely unprepared for war, lacking not only
first line ships but many auxiliaries; 1t is
short OF officers and men to perilous degree
its chief naval bases have had little or no de-
velopment, and the feet is divided with naval
strength in the Pacific which is inconsideraole.
The Pacific fleet active and reserve, and the
Ash tic feet are composed OF one old battle
ship, the famous Oregon; two obsolete mont
tors seven armored cruisers, ten cruisers.
eleven gunboats, fourteen destrcyers and
twenty submarines This array seems i'm
pressive, but tor facing modern battle feet
il is paper strength"-simply fit only TO show
TIRE flag" with dignity in peace, and in war,
when sheltered in safe harbors, to soothe the
fears Of some t:rSid uncomprehendirg laymen.
Individu lly each of these vessels is excel
lent for is day and kind, but the effective day
o. the strongest OF them was long ago and,
EXCEPT Some OF the destroyers and submarines,
none o. them could engage modern battleships.
The most formidable OF them are the six
l3.6s0-ton armored cruisers, but they are OF an
obsolescent type with mixed battery OF four
s-inch (model 1899 and fourteen 6-inch guns,
thin 6-inch belt armor and a speed OF only
twenty two knots. HySrids tactically. they are
too weak TO fight battleships and too slow TO
chase or ran away. Their characteristics COM
pare very unavorably with those OF the dread
nought battle cruisers now serving III the
British German and japanese navies. For ex-
annie the four vessels Of Japan's Kongo class
each have displacement OF 1880 tons. a
speed of twenty-seven knots eight l4-inch and