Show PREPARING FOR WAR I TIM OF PEACE S That Germany is destined to become a great naval power seems one of the certainties of the future Emperor William Is ambitious to give his coun try a navy as perfect and powerful as the army his grandfather gave Ger 1 many There is small chance to improve im-prove the army he found organized and i norfwtod but not so the navy Ger I man steamers that are liable to be called into the service of the govern ment are so constructed that they can readily I be converted Into armored cruisers like the English steamers and those of the American line But the German steamers are to be prepared at all times to be converted into armored cruisers They are to carry aboard the guns and ammunition for their armament arma-ment while their officers are to be trained in gunnery This moans much just what is told by an English ofilcer A recent event says he supplies us with an object lesson The French on landing at Hainan took possession of the port ofllce of HoiHow and for more than a week no one was aware of the fact And this is exactly what would happen in war Let us suppose that a North German Lloyd mail boat I earns near Colombo by signal from a neutral ship that war las been declared dE-clared say between Germany and England Eng-land Within half un hour the ship could be converted intp an armed cruiser with white fireman and crew lII I j be it noted the latter being trained to i arms and possibly supplemented by 500 German passengers most of whom II wouldhave seri d in the army The Germain mail boat sights a P and Q steamer with a Lascar crew and Sldl I boys as firemen and no guns rife ort or-t ammunition fin board What will be the I i result The specie and coal at any j I rate would be removed and the cruiserS cruiser-S would be off to repeat the operation l with possibly several days start in the I news having the legs of every manof j war in Indian waters S That Indeed is preparing for war in I time of peace There is a lesson in I |