Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-03-14
4 NAVAL ALLIANCE?

- letter to the Philadelphia Pub.
lie Ledger, urges that the time
has come for the United States tc
join with Great Britain and France
in a naval alliance to maintain tho
freedom of the seas. In brief, DIR. Elio
sums up his reasons for such a pro,
posal as follows:
First. War between the United
States aid either Great Britain or
France need no longer be thought
three nations are of one mind as re-
gard religious liberation, the value
of force and stable political insti-
tutions, and the physical and
greatness. Third. The interests of
the United States, Great Britain
and France are identical in respect
to that freedom of the seas which
modiues to all nations in times of
peace and to the three allied ma
tions in times of war. Fourth.
The INSURANCE against invasion
which this alliance would provide
for the United States would be ade-
quate, for there is no sea power
100. 900 men across either the Allan
tic or the Pacific IL opposed by the
combined navies of Great Britain,
France and the United States. Fifth.
only for its Immediate objects, but
for the disbursement of war
making throughout the world. 1t
would possess abundant and we'll
distributed ports, naval stations,
dockyards, mines of coal and ores,
oil wells, munition factories. food
and clothing supplies, and high in
dustrial and financial capacity, al
though ii would be strengthened
in important respects by the ac-
cession Of Brazil. Argentine and
would be able to give some support,
though not security, to the Euro
pean maritime nations which are
exposed to land attacks by Ger
namely. France, Belgium. Holland,
Denmark. Sweden, Norway and
Greece. and thereby to make attack
on them less attractive. or more
costly. and therefore less probable.
Seventh. 1t would probably reduce
the progressive increase of the
heavy burden Great Britain now
carries. alone in order to keep con-
troll of the seas in time of war.
and the cooperation of the Ameri-
can navy would make this reduc-
pose of all doubts and questions
about the execution of the Monroe
Doctrine. Ninth. It would notify
Germany that the kind of domina-
tion over the world to which she
aspires is henceforth impossible
for her or for any feasible combina-
tion of military powers headed by
her. This notification might pos
sibly hasten the close of the present
war.
All this is little less than revolution
airy and in direct contradiction of al
the precepts and warnings handel
down by our elder statesmen, begin
ming with Washington himself DR.
Eliot is not unmindful of this but h
is of the opinion that conditions hav
changed with time, and he may b
right. America is no longer isolatet
from the rest of the world, as was tn
case a century ago, and that bein
true it may be asked whether in tn
national relations, the nation is justi
fed in maintaining the attitude it as
sumed when it was a months voyag
distant from Europe and concerne
chiefly with its own internal prob
lens of domestic trade and develop
ment. There is food for thought i,
DIR. Eliots suggestion. The end O
the war will bring many changes an
it may or may not be desirable t
enter into such an alliance as he out
lines. Certainly. we in the Unite
States will stand always for the free
dom of the seas ara the utmost lib
erty for the individt ii commensurate
with the liberty of the people as
whole, and 1t will require no forma
alliance to make us hold to that. Jus
now we should think more of build
ing a gigantic plant Of our own tha
of evolving a means of relying upo
the guns of some friendly power i
time of stress. We shall need that
whether we choose to stand alone o
ally ourselves with England or Franc
for the accomplishment of an en-
that only a powerful navy can insure