New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-28
The Navy, at Least, Was Ready.

The Navy, at Least, Was Ready.
You describe the statesmen who have O.
rected the policy of the empire as "charla'
tans.o "pacifsts," and Glars" You say
England is tired Of charlatans and weary OF
liars" You also state that "the Creates
crisis in modern history found England I'M
prepared in arms or in mind" You also say
"the lie in England has been found out; the
cheap political phrase, the consuming lgno'
rance that permitted the nation to go through
the critical years from 1905 to 1914 without
making one serious preparation for wore
conflict, the coming Of which was perceived
by many Britons and not few Americans
has been exposed" Allow me to say tha'
these statements made with so much oHeh
sive emphasis are not warranted by the iacts
When war came in August, 1914, the britisr
feet was far stronger and more einclent thaf
IL had ever been in living memory. AS &c
our army, IL was thoroughly adequate 10 tnt
role that all our experts expected IL Woulu
have to play in European war. NO states
man. Liberal or Conservative, ever thougn'
that England would need TO send more than
$50 900 troops to the Continent to the ala OF
France. Our military arrangements devised
on that basis were supremacy ethclent' ano
no better equipped army ever took the heid
than that which we transported to France III
August and September, 1914
What would have happened If between l9oS
and 1914 Great Britain had enormously IN
creased her army in order to prepare tor
world conflict? The preparations must, as
you suggest have been against Germany ano
Germany would have regarded such prepare
tons az an act of aggression. she would nov
have waited until we had organized great
army. but would have provoked conilict
which would have caught us in state or IN
ferioricy Happily It is on sea power not on
and power, that we depend for our security
Your statement that the Liberal govern
ment left the country unprepared LOT war -
ouite baseless The British navy, which mas
stood the test magnifcently, was Kept up 10
the highest pitch of strength and efficiency
by the Liberal government, within whose
period of Office all the great lighting snlpa
were built and the whole scheme OF 'naVai
strategy revised. The British navy Of today
il the creation Of Liberal government anc
the man who designed the dreadnoughts
and Invented our best fighting ships, and re-
organized the whole feet, Lord Fisher, is
sound Liberal as well as a great sailor-not
that politics ever entered into his conduct OF
policy.
You refer TO some Liberal opposition to a
big navy. True, small section of the Radi.
calls wanted to economic on our military and
naval expenditure; but even these pacihsts
and economists conceded that our navy ought
10 be predominant over all its rivals. On the
other hand, there was an extreme section OF
the Conservative party in favor Of outbuild-
ing. by two to one, both Germany and the
United States.
Great Brtain's military preparations mus'
be considered with reference to the fact tha'
we had two sorts Of war to contemplate; first
war against ourselves alone. in which there
would be no Continental fighting and, sec
ondly. a war against ourselves. France arc
Russia. in which the exertion OF sea power
was to be our chief role, and the Ian fight
ing would fall mainly on France, Russia anc
Germany, with small contribution in men
from US. This contribution was fixed at the
amount which France and Russia had judged
needful. Great Britain not only contributed
her full complement in the first week of war
hut has put rine times that number into the
fighting line. We make no reflection what
ever on the bravery and military skill which
our Allies have shown, but it is obvious that
if before the war there was a serious mscal-
oulation Of the military forces necessary to
withstand the Central Empires the just re-
sponsibility for It must be sought much more
in Petrograd and Paris than in London.