AMERICA AND JAPAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 3 September 1907, Page 4

AMERICA AND JAPAN.

GREAT FLEET FOR TIIE PACIFIC. New York, July 5. The momentous decision taken by the administration to despatch a fleet Qf sixteen battleships to the Pacific is officially confirmed.

I Rear-Admiral Evans will take command of the Pacific squadron, and when he arrives at San Francsico in the autumn he will have at his disposal a total force of 19 battleships and 9 modem armored cruisers, as well as torpedo boats, destroyers and auxiliaries. Though Mr "Metcalfe, Secretary for the Navy, and others suggest that the fle.'t is merely taking a cruise in the Pacific for the temporary gratification of the San Franciscans, the idea that the battleships once there will ever be withdrawn is scouted by the well informed. It is indeed the fixed intention of the administration tiTuenude the Atlantic of its sea force until another fleet can be constructed, work that will be actively begun as soon as Congress re-assembles and can be induced to vote the necessary appropriations. This means that the United States will proceed at a still more rapid rate that heretofore to the realisation of her ambition to become the leading Naval Power of the world. The immediate political idea behind the present move is that the public shall have an Imposing, well-organised force in the Pacific before the time arrives for the negotiation of the new tr**iy for the regulation of the immigration of Japanese and for the settling of their claim to be placed on absolute equality with white aliens.

The official statement at Oyster Bay aays: No friction between individual citizens of the United States and of Japan has influenced the Government.

July B.—The growing excitement over the Japanese question is sensibly augmented by Admiral Brownson's utterances at Oyster Bay affirming the desirability and importance of demonstrating to the world how quickly the American nary can transfer its fighting strength from one ocean to another. Those utterances are admittedly the direct outcome of the admiral's interview with Mr Roosevelt, who for years has been a consistent advocate of the large navy as the sorest guarantee of peace to the United States and other nations.

With the single notable exception of the New York World, which is conducting a vigorous campaign against what it terms the "Jingo asinity of Oyster Bay," the entire American press approves the despatch of the Republican armada to the Pacific as a wise measure of precaution, which Japan has no right whatever to resent.

Admiral Dewey, chairman of the Gen eral Navy Board, which prepared the details of the mo&entous strategic movement, officially identifies himself with that view "Its purpose," lie says, "is to keep the peace in all the Pacific by seizing as quickly as possible the CSlance of sea power iff that ocean." Admiral Dewey foresees two results of vital national Importance arising from the trail--fer of the fleet. He believes that it will necessitate the construction and equipment of a great Atlantic fleet, with the ships now building as a nucleus, and also stimulate and accelerate file completion of the Panama Canal.

Ufspite the announcement unofficially made that the preliminary negotiations are revealing sharp discrepancy of views between Tokio and Washington as to the renewal of the treaty regulating the question of immigration, few people in the country anticipate belligerent complications. The misgivings that exist are wholly attributable to irresponsible firebrands of the calibre of Captain ITooson, Admiral Sakamoto, and many others who are seeking to infect both the American and the Japanese nations with a virulent war fever.

President Roosevelt, through Bear-Ad [miral "Brownson, declares that he proposes to give the world a somewhat startling demonstration of wliat the American navy is capable of doing to protect either or both coasts of the United States, and that there is no time for such a demonstration like the preIsent, when the United States is at perfect peace wfth every nation.

FRANCE'S AIS WARSHIPS.

PLANS FOR A GREAT FLEET. Paris, July fl. -1 hear from a reliable source that the first five airships to be built on the lines of La Patrie, which had such a triumphant fight against the wind, and was so successfully steered over Paris yesterday, will be delivered to the Government by March next. Three are being built) by Messrs Lehaudy at Moiason, and two at the Meudon Government bal-loon-shed. Though the airships will be uniform in type of motor and envelope, they' will be built in series of fives, to secure improvement in each successive series. The technicians in the military aerostatic department believe, however, that they have the most perfect existing practical airsMTp. Improvements, it is thought, will lie in the possible reduction of size of the cigar-shaped envelope, in applying safety apparatus to enable the car to be brought to earth with comparative ease in event of the envelope bursting, and in great but gradual reduction in the size of the motor while maintaining considerate motor power.—Daily Mail correspondent. - .;. ,