New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-16
BRITAINs SEA POWER
A Review Of the Conditions That
Unite the Empire.

Eiri have read the columns Of your edl-
torlal page every day since the European
war broke out, and several times have been
tempted to write. Up TO the present time
have managed to suppress this longing, and
now ! feel II Is time TO give vent to II.
In these days especially II cannot be too
frequently reiterated that to the sea Britain
and the British race owe everything
! Whatever may be said Of Brltsin's decadence
a. a physical force among the other great
physical forces Of Europe, the present CON
| hlct will undoubtedly prove to the satsfac-
/ ton Of both enemy and friend that she Is
/ still there IN the forefront. Her unique
destiny as tho great neral force Of tho world
/ Is becoming more and moro obvious every
day. The peculiar racial characteristics Of
her people, her traditions, her language, her
! literature, her history, are coloring the great
tide Of human life,
What r. the cause Of thsi Have you
noted the great attention lately given to.
colonial matters on the European CONT
nsnt and the talk OF imperial federation in
Brtain2 great racial struggle for life Is
/ IN progress IN EuropeI outlets for the sur
plus population Of the Old World are urgent
| " demanded, and practically there are no
new countries left 10 develop. In the new
world Of the Northwest and in the new world
scattered over the great southern ocean, the
whole Of the lands in the temperate zones
have been colonizod and by whom Mainly
by the British race
That this Is the cause of Britain's dom
nance and Of her stupendous future had
become quite an axiom on the European Con
tinent. How has It come about that in the
untitled lands Of the temperate Sone-North
America, Africa, Australa-almost every
square mile of land Is In the hands Of the
british race. or, IN the case Of the United
states. IN the hands Of her worthy descend
snts9 The reason for all this IS the undo
n!able quality they possess Of organizing ana
governing.
Does the British race really exhibit any
s,,reriorItv ovor other races? Are Britons
and Americans more courageous than Ger
mans. or more energetic? To answer these
opastIons IN the affirmative would, no doubt
no pleassnt. but would It be justified by
factsP Would any employer Of labor, skilled
or un,killed. answer yesH There is n cause
and that cause IS the sea. The Brlton
birthplace dccreed he should become chh'
of the sea- That tho high road OF the ocea"
should lead him all over the world was III
evitable Thanks to tho English Chahhel'
which Is worth an entire Prussian army, the
British race, instead Of exhaustng us force
in defending frontiers, has been enabled TO
give all It's energies to STRENGTHENING us
! limbs At home and finding fresh heIus At
which TO exercise them abroad.
i britain owes her very existence 70 the seas
U.itbout the seas she Is nothing In the
nresent war she IS lighting for her rights
and her liberty ot action. In the develop
ment OF her national life she has reached the
rolnt where there IS no turning back. Hold
that which Is good" IS a slogan Tor the
: british race Britain IS not warning 10 Cd
tain more lands, or merely for conquesV
she Is IN the struggle 70 preserve the very
independence Of her nation.
No wonder the Prussan element tried
thar best TO keep Britan's hands on. hau
Britain followed the desires Of the Kaiser
and his military advisers the Prussians
you'd have subjugated France and Belgium
and then--John BULL Your turn next
Wltb the French coast IN their hands for q
base 10 work from II would have become
frightful struggle for all concerned.
That the British race would submit TO a
nav mower IS out Of the question. From all
corrars Of the empire millions OF men would
raIIv 70 the defence of their mother Lana
,,are sbe really threatened, and we may feel
assured they would never return to their
colonial homes until freedom for the race
was absolutely assured IN the future. what
would Frenchmen and Belgans think Of the
men Of England, ireland, Scotland, Wales
and their colonial brothers, and what would
tbeir descendants in America think OF their
forebears had they stood idly by
Germany puts forth the claim she Is fight
tho for the freedom Of the seas. Was 1t for
This Belgium was obliterated and Luxem-
brrg violated and France invaded? Did
~ HIGHWAY 10 the freedom Of the seas lie
/ through the homesteads Of other NATIONS
I than her own Had the Prussian war iora'
been able to foresee the solidarity OF the
British Empire they might have he'itated'
Had they been possessed OF enough iore
slaht to feel that Italy would und0uoteaiy
ask herself the question "Where 90
standH" and also had they been able 70 iuily
roolIze the geographical position OF italy, her
IbeInless condition with a powerful naval
coalition arrayed against her, and the ire
Tnendous coast line she would have to DEFEND
AGAIN. repeat, they might have heSltated.
"Deutsehland, Deutschland dber Alles'
"RrItons never shall be slaves" Germany Is
reallv fphtlng TO wrest 4 colonial SUI
nrernacv from Britain. Peace without de-
I cisIve defeat In this war would be farce,
Nations In Europe have their place ana
should be satisfied to develop and improve
without encroaching on other nations boun,
darIes. That this can be done Is e1emplifed
every day IN the national life Of the United
states. We have all nstOnalities here and
they get along in very friendly way gradu,
ally merging themselves into the national
life and ideas OF the native born citizen.
such distinctions as Anglo-American, Ger
man-American, 1talisn-Americsn should be
made illegal.
Brooklyn, Juno 8, 1918.
Puzzled.