Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 167, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 July 1911 — UNCLE SAM'S FIGHTINGFLEET [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

UNCLE SAM'S FIGHTINGFLEET

WARS and rumors of war die hard. Even at this late time in the world’s history, when civilization might be supposed to have repressed the primitive lust for blood and plunder, the alarmist has only to lift his voice In congress to banish tranquility from our bosoms. Millions are given to promote the cause of universal peace. Yet ihe nations of Europe compete with each other for the privilege of bearing the heaviest burden in the way of modern armaments. England trembles'at the thought of Germany; Germany, with her rapidly expanding commerce, leaps to the Dreadnought type of naval construction and increases her expenditures to overcome England’s two-power lead, Austria lays down four first-class battle ships. Russia is said to be contemplating the expenditure of $300,000,000 on her navy. The United States is 'warned that in no long time Germany will oust her from the second place upon the seas. Not the least important business of peace would seem to be the preparation for war.

One is reminded of the ancient Chinese sage who was sent to Europe by his emperor to investigate the merits of the Christian religion. It was a troublous time. The great nations were locked in a death struggle; battle fields ran with . blood; violent schisms sprang up and were suppressed with slaughter; the continent was no better than a huge shambles.' After the sage had looked bis fill he returned to his emperor. “China is too peaceful a nation,” he said, “to be adapted to the Christian faith.” Peace Dove is Elusive. It is possible to believe that this shrewd Oriental had not made a profound study of 'Christian ethics: but at least he had seen that during some centuries of acceptance it had not availed to put an end to the horrors of war. Perhaps the essence of the thing is better understood today, and yet he would be an optimistic prophet who should declare that the era of unbroken peace had dawned. The country was recently warned that its standing army Is Inadequate to repel foreign invasion. 'This was met by the declaration that the sea is still the nation’s Impregnable bulwark, and that while the navy floats no hostile nation could land a force. What, then, is the condition of the American navy and what are its facilities in the way of naval base and coal supply in the event of war? Notwithstanding the greatly increased cost of naval construction, which was introduced with the Dreadnought type, the government has during some years followed the practice of laying down two battle ships annually. The appropriations for the five years ending June 30, 1911, reach >593,727,861, as against 1131,971,877 for the preceding five-year period. This program has placed thq American navy in the second place with a total of 152 ships, carrying 136 guns and having a displacement of 717,702 tons. Germany comes next, with 209 vessels, carrying 100 guns and having a tonnage of 666,035. Many Fighting Monsters. At the present time England and America have four Dreadnoughts each of about equal tonnage. Germany has three and Japan one. But Germany, which formerly built small battle ships, has turned to Dreadnoughts in an attempt to overcome England’s great lead, and when the present program of the nations has been carried out she will stand second. Britain will then have seventeen of these monster

engines of destruction, Germany thirteen, the United States ten, Japan six and Russia and Italy four each. But in the meantime the Panama Canal will havq, been opened, and the efficiency of the American navy almost doubled. Up to now the larger portion ot the fleet has been kept in Atlantic waters, but with the canal open it would be possible to effect a change o> position in case of need without serious delay. A writer signing himself “Navarch” emphasizes, in an article on “The Disposition of Our Fighting Fleet,” in the Columbian Magazine, the importance of the new naval stations in the Pacific. He speaks particularly of Pearl Harbor at Hawaii, where a naval base is now being established, and of the dry dock Dewey at Olongapo, sixty miles from Manila. . “The protection of our Atlantic coast,” he says, “lies in a fleet based on Guantanamo, and the protection of the Pacific coast lies in a fleet based on Pearl Harbor. Both Guantanamo and Pearl Harbor are ideally situated in their respective spheres. The former is centrally located with reference to the Panama Canal and our Atlantic coast, and a fleet based there would command all the avenues toward the canal. Hawaii stands in the Pacific as our outpost, and no power could successfully approach our Pacific coast without taking it and meeting victoriously the strong fleet .which we would Maintain there.”

TYPES OF THE ATLANTIC FLEET