The Dominion SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1908. THE MASTERY OF THE PACIFIC.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 336, 24 October 1908, Page 4

The Dominion SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1908. THE MASTERY OF THE PACIFIC.

The first fruits of the cruise of the American fleet, which we welcomed to these shores recently, are already manifesting themselves in the pronouncements of the weightiest organs of public opinion in the Old and New Worlds. Following upon the very cordial messages of ''sincere attachment" and of "loug-standing friendship" which have passed between his Imperial Majesty the Mikado and President Roosevelt, and the enthusiastic, though surely somewhat indiscreet, declaration of the New York Times, that "Japan has 'outdone' our kinsfolk in Now Zealand and Australia in the heartiness of hof weloomo," wo now havo the London y.imct dfidnring that-"

Australia and Now Zealand arc members of a mighty Empire, which is a great Pacific J owcr, and, with their woll-directcd aid, may uo the greatest Pacific Power. Wo at home aro sonsiblo of our vital interests in the ■i.acinc, and aro resolved, at whatever tho sacnficos, to uphold them. In a sense, of course, this is merely an enunciation of the obvious—the- obvious, because it has been the oft-repeated declaration of English statesmen and of the reputable organs of public opinion in England. But the mere fact that at this particular moment—a psychological moment in more ways than one—The Times should deem it desirable to reiterate the declaration converts the merely obvio.us into the distinctly significant. For, is it •not plain that in the manner of the reception of the American fleet at Yokohama The Times perceives latent possibilities of future developments in the great drama of tho "Master of the Pacific," the first scenes of which are but yet enacted'! Is it not plain that the great London journar desires to sound a warning noto and to emphasise, for all who may be disposed to forget it, that it is Britain's life mislion to be paramount on the seas—that her friendship for all nations is sincere, but that they must not provoke her ag&inst her will ? We like to think this to be the intention of The Times in writing as it has done, for that intention is redolent of the old spirit which made the greatness of the Empire, and will maintain and "increase t„at greatness so long as it is kept alive. It will be a sad calami'tyi not only for ourselves, but for the world at large, when the day dawns on which the greatness of the most humane, tho most enlightened, and the most progressive family of nations is on the wane; when, forgetful of their mission and their raison d'etre as a family, they cease to lead the world in progress; when, no longer under the inspiration of this noblest of all missions, they cease to live up to it. It is a proud reality, which must never coase to send a thrill of enthusiasm through British people, that our Empire includes such vast tracts of the world's surface, numbers such teeming populations, embodies such immense interest,' and enjoys so eminent a position that it is essential to the progress of humanity to maintain it.. What, the upshot of these reflections, are tho lessons which we, in this part o! tho world, ought to take to heart 1 The Times has told us that by our well-directed aid we may make the Empire the greatest Power in the Pacific. Surely no mission so inspiring was reserved to any portion of tho Empire. We have shown our sense thereof by increasing the naval subsidy to £100,000. But that must not be, and is not going to.he, the end of our effort. The article quoted refers. to.. Britain's vital interests in the Pacific, and we havo to remember that in tho East Britain has tremendous Asiatic possessions and interests to safeguard, as well as her Australasian -possessions and interests. It must be our aim that she should not havo to sacrifice one to preserve the other.- It should be our aim to set our internal defonce in ordor. It should be our proud resolve to have to rely as little as maybe upon tho protection o£ that arm'.whieh is ever there to protect us, that -it may, bo the freer to guard its and our'iiiteests. By so doing shall we show that attachment to the''Mother Country which shirks not personal sacrifice. By so doing shall wo feel the local pride of nationhood. By so doing'shall we best assist in maintaining in all its integrity and all its glory the Empire of which we'are justly proud. It is no bad omen that the declaration of The Times, 'Which has given rise to these remarks, was published on Trafalgar Day.