Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-03
FOREIGN NAvIES
PROTECT AMERICA
We Have Not Profted by
Mahan's Teachings About Sea
Power and Must Prepare
in Haste

man Empire To-Day IL III idIse p"'N
product of the thinking of two Americans.
Mahan pointed out to II the Importance
of power on the sea and two or three
generations earlier Frederick List read
Alexander Hamilton's Report on Manu-
factures" and interpreted to his fellow
countrymen the theories of protective
tariff which that distinguished financier
formulated
But the United States has profited less
than any other Power by Mahan's teach
ings. Mahan knew that what he wrote
would have little effect here, for he said:
The necessity for n navy in the re-
stricted sense of the word springs from
the existence of a peaceful shipping
and disappears with it, except in the
case of nation with aggressive ten
denotes that keeps up a navy merely as
branch of the military establishment
AS the United States has at present no
aggressive purposes, and as its mer.
chant service has disappeared, the
dwindling of the armed feet and gen.
eral lack of interest. in it are logical
consequences. When for any reason
sea trade is again found to pay, large
enough shipping interest will reap
pear to compel the revival of the war
fleet. 1t is possible that when canal
route through the Central American
1sthmus is seen to be a near certainty,
the aggressive impulse may be strong
enough to lead to the same result CThs
was written before the Panama Canal
was buit). This is doubtful, however,
because a peaceful, gain-loving nation
is not far-sghted, and far-sightedness
is needed for adequate military prepar-
alton.
Events have proved Mahan to be a good
prophet, for Notwithstanding the com.
pletion of the canal the nation has failed
to realize its weakness on the sea and
has consequently failed to build a navy
adequate to the needs of a coast line
longer than that of any other world
Power. Indeed, the thinking men who
have understood the situation have had
great difficulty in persuading Congress
to appropriate money for battleships and
have found it almost as difficult to per
suade 1t to provide for adequate defense
of the mouths of our great harbors. They
have known that in any war with another
Power we would be absolutely dependent
on the navy to prevent an invasion. They
have known that the British defeated
Napoleon at Trafalgar, and not at Water
| loo; and that an invasion of Great Britain
was prevented by destroying the war
| ships which were to convoy the troop.
across the British Channel. They have
| known, too. that Hannibal was defeated
in his campaign against Rome becaus
| Rome had command Of the sea and pre-
vented the Carthaginians from getting
re-enforcements when they needed them.
U. S. Dependent on Foreign Navy
They know now that it is the British
and French fleets that keep the German
armies on the Continent, and in the even
Of war between the United States an
Germany we must look to these fleets @
foreign Powers to serve as our first lin
of defense. If the German navy could &c
to sea-that is, if there were no Frenc
and British fleets in the way-the Germa
warships would even now be hoverin
along our coasts ready to strike whe
the signal was given.
Our harbors, as Mahan said, are source
Of strength when defended, but when in
properly protected are sources of veal
ness. He wrote:
| Numerous and deep harbors are a
source OF strength and wealth, and
! doubly SO If they are the outlets of
navigable streams which facilitate the
concentration in them of country's
internal trade but by their very ac-
feasibility they become source of
weakness in war IL not properly de-
Tended. The Dutch in 1867 found little
difficulty in ascending the Thames and
, burning large fraction of the English
navy within sight of London; whereas,
few years later the combined fleets
of England and France when attempt
ing landing in Holland were folle0
by the difficulties of the coast as much
as by the valor of the Dutch fleet
In 1878 the harbor of New York, and
with 1t the undisputed control of the
Hudson River, would have been lost to
the English, who were caught at dis
advantage. but for the hesitancy of the
+ French admiral. With that control
: New England would have been restored
= to close and safe communication with
New York. New Jersey and Pennsyl-
Il vania, and this blow following so closely
on Burgoynes disaster Of the year be-
~ fore would probably have led the Eng
lsh to make an earlier peace. The
-s Mississippi is a mighty source of wealth
" to the United States, but the feeble de.
a fenses, at it's mouth and the number OF
.. its subsidiary streams penetrating the
!" country made 1t weakness and source
a of disaster to the Southern Confederacy
n And, lastly, in 1914, the occupation o.
the Chesapeake and the destruction o.
Washington gave a sharp lesson of tn,
10 danger Incurred through the noblest o.
n waterways II their approaches be un
defended; a lesson recent enough to b.
easily recalled, but which, from presen
appearance of the coast derenses, Geem
10 be yet more easily FORGOTTEN. No
: should It be thought that condition
have changed; circumstances and de
d. tails of offense and defense have bee
In modified in these days as before. bu
the great conditions remain the same.
There has been some Improvement 81
this was written. but the inadequacy
the defenses is a matter Of conn
-, A,za.x Conuresa has mada an,