Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 85, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 June 1907 — UNPREPARED FOR WAR. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

UNPREPARED FOR WAR.

In Conlllct with Japan Uncle Sam Might Loae Islands and Alaska. The war-like attitude of Japan is pausing considerable anxiety among officials of the government and officers of the navy who are familiar with the absolute lack of adequate preparation on the part of the United States for liostil.tles. It is said that a declaration of war by Japan would be followed by the immediate loss of our Philippine possessions, Guam, Hawaii, Alaska and the menacing of our Pacific coast. The United States is to-day less prepared to meet Japan In the Pacific waters than Spain was on 1898 to meet the United States. All the strength of our fleet Is at present in Atlantic waters, and the small ships in the far east would l>e as junk to the powerful mnl well concentrated Japanese navy. The story is summed up in the bare

ship ou our Pacific frontier, that at Bremernon. The new dock at Alongapo, P. 1., which was towed from Solomon's Island, Maryland. Is still without shops on shore sufficient for repairs and can be used only for painting and scraping. For some reason not easy for the average citizen to discover there is not an American battleship between San Francisco and Manila. One by one they have been withdrawn from Pacific waters and joined to the Atlantic fleet, where they rendezvous at Newport and Jaiyestown, until there remains in tlie far east and on the Pacific coast only light armored cruisers and second and third class ships of the cruiser type, any and all of which would be no more than good target practice for a squadron of modern battleships. It is privately admitted, according to a Washington correspondent, that the Navy Department hesitates to order battleships to the Pacific waters at this,time. While having every possible right to do so without question, it ( s well known that such a mpve would be seized upon by the Japanese as an Indication of hostile Intent, and it might easily be made the subject of diplomatic Inquiry—a thing which would not for a moment be tolerated by our Secretary of State and which might itself provoke a quarrel.

WHAT JAPAN HAS AND WANTS.