Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-08-18

fetal authority. the Army and Navy
Journal. notes: "Of the los war yes
sells Of all nations lost, the
in just short OF five months OF wal,
have destroyed only eight" During the
whole year they have sunk about ~
British warships. Their chief military
function has been to keep
battleships at a distance from the
The gun. however. is still, by long
the primary a and the battlesnip
Is still the backbone OF h fleet.
AS to the Jour months operations OF,
the Dardanelles. the unsupported naval
attack Of the first two months on these
massive Notifications. protected by
mines and submarines. was a mistake,
possibly inevitable. but due, 1T IS
charged. to civilian mismanagement OF
the British admiralty. The history OF
naval wal had fully foreshadowed sucn
results. and the forts at entrailce
were reduced only with a losses.
The Anglo-French land forces are now
gaining steadily. and. relieved by Italy
in the Adriatic. the allied fleet VIII
doubtless gain Constantinople within a
reasonable time. and open the stralts
for Russia's wal munitions. Its wheat
and oil.
The Wars Lessons for America.
The striking lessons for America Civ
en- by this war seem so clear that even
Lrior prejudice and Indifference mist
yield to their force. In one short wear
indeed. in the early months Of that
year-we have seen superior sea lorce
bottle up" the second largest iss's
the world: transport troops by sea,
with the utmost freedom and safety
from the very ends Of the earth. Tor
land operations against it; capture or
destroy its merchant marine. the third
largest on the seas: ruin the bulk OF Its
- - "a csn nm nNn o~r,,o11v.
seize all of its overseas possessions ana
blast its hopes Of a colonial empire
and all this while the merchant ships
of It's foes went calmly about their bust-
ness as in peace. not only maintaining
much of their prior trade, but carrying
great cargoes Of war munitions, and
undisturbed throughout it all. except
by the submarine which. deadly though
1t be to merchantmen at close range,
has as yet but nibbled at the fringes
of the vast merchant marine Of Great
Britain.
Now. suppose that we. instead Of
Germany. had been the defendant in
this yea of naval war. with a fleet de-
feated or penned up n an enemy or
enemies holding command of the sea-.
What would the harvest be for us to-
day? Alien flags would have been
floating. months ago, over the Panama
canal, the Philippines, Guam, Samoa,
Hawaii. Alaska. Porto Rico, and per-
maps Cuba-those overseas possessions,
the lands of an empire. which We could
regain only in later gears and by q
long aud bloody waY.
We. too. have a merchant marine. the
second largest in the world. and a huge
foreign trade. For the year. 1913. our
exports and imports aggregated $780,
$1,000. Where would that have been
with an effective blockade? AS docu-
mented by the federal government on
June 80. 1914. there were 26,943 vessels
OF 1.S2S,6SS gross o in u merchant
marine. and. since then, more than
500. 900 tons additional have come under
the American flag under the ship reg
lstry act. 1t is true that the great bulk
OF this is a coastwise fleet and that but
ABOUT 10 per cent of our foreign trade
Is carried in American bottoms: but.
even so. swift cruisers. like the Emden,
would have wrought huge havoc and
Drought tremendou losses long ago.
Where Americas Safety Lies.
This. however. is all idle speculation,
FOR there could have been nc. year Of
war: Our military situation would have
made that impossible. In a country the
size OF Texas Germany has 10000, 900
peeple. me empire is covered with a
OF strategic railways, is stud
e with fortresses. has an extremely
snort Inc well guarded coast line, and
the strongest army the world has ever
Known. 1t Is. therefore, virtually inn
mune from invasion. except after stag
gerlng losses throughout a war Of
years. "
But our story would have been diff
ferent. for. in every one Of these re-
spects. the United States is Germany's
opposite: We are perilously weak
Wnere n Is magnificently strong. So.
with our "corporal's guard" of an army
wiped out in the first engagement.
mere Q have been no year of war
ror US. sneep submission and the
paytaent OF an enormous war indemn-
lsy-tne cost Of three or four navies-
less we had cared to make the ands
near our great cities a mammoth sham
Dies. as Belgium was, and q wat 0rava.
yard. as 1t is today.
There Is but one fundamental an.
aver 20 these dark suppositions-the
rect. Make 1t as strong as that oe any
enemy on either coast, ana we
Sasant Ie secure. Otherwise. in It's '.un-
Ken treasureland," America "a.
mllitarily. but a new China in this
IWentieth century-fabulously rich and
latuOusly weak. Even the old Chirs
OF the centuries has awakened-perhane
700 late. IN h fierce grasp of japan-
rom lts absorption In the oSta Of neace
shall We dream on? "
Scopyrasht. 1915, by the Wheeler Syn,
dictate. Incl
Jasan's ssnsvoIsnes.
From the Kansas City rime,.
saRsn = allow 70 anser; but China's In
uevtng China Of the burdens Of inxsn.rT-
ence. Here she 10 Willing. oven anxinMs