The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-23

qus1te forntSure ana the sepIos are atted 70 the
SsDssssns S ana essSss MN 70 leave home 70 join
Of sas s world sSs may s.. Without encu%cens
himself with tsoublesome effects and going to an
Is show the dtassenoe between the pay of our
own and Foreign 0fnceFs, VIII compare the grade
q rear admiral In the United States and in the
The psy o. an edacsr in the British Navy is given
for the support OF himself and family; but to pre-.
the governments siiow taDie money and other
Of the rst class receives IS as, With an aliowSSce
Of Ss,2lO Tor table money, servants, 30, amount
As much a. TIE iu seq pay Of our rear sdnirss
1ns ~ Ss 70 ss greater when It comes 70
miral Of the neet receives $1s,1e0 and q vice ad-
mlrai $3.50, bestdes other allowances. From
this IL will be seen how inadequate would be
deemed tine pay Of our commanding onicers By
other governments. In addition to the above,
money" for entertsnments' which enables the%
TO leave sufhclent amount OF pay at homo to sup
II doubt 1--WE nave an admiral, captain or com
mander a0oat who Is not s0rely pinched on ac-
count o. the various calls upon nis hospitaMty and
and less oppressive tnat oficers hesitate to seek
some may urge that our on,cers abroad are not
obliged to Incur these expenses, but 1t would not
look very courteous IN any commander, after par
up MS anchor anu steam out OF port to AVOID re-
ci2rocating: s.L..
bond Of KIND feeling which one nation experi.
ences toward another, and they should, therefore,
receive the largest encouragement
On two occasions within nv knowledge the
State Department have paid out some $1,000 to
enable the commanding onncer OF the European
Squadron to return civlities and do honor to our
country, and these precedents 1t would be well TO
follow. l9g .Uia lar rfl '1Nu
It Is not Just that, oncers out Of pay only SUI
6Clent the SUPPORT thamap1vQa a nd fonn
should be subjected TO any expense in returning
hospttalites which are absolutely Of . national
character. speak In behalf OF the navy, have no
personal interest IN the matter and trust that q
liberal view win be taken or the subject and all
rOm being placed In embarrassing positions and
subjected to unnecessary expense. This subject
can in measure regulate the matter OF allowances
and add TO the comfort OF commanding Oficers
abroad as well az those IN command Of shore sta
lions. Yilnimif '.l n T0-7r7'l -
has been numerousy signed by of1cers OF the navy,
Vice Admiral ana Rear Admiral In existence dur.
Ing the war, together with the old broad pennant,
se
to the officers and men, and do not AFFORD the dts
tincton between the grades that they were origl-
nally intended to ef1ect There traditions con-
nected with the old nags that are dear to the
ofncers and men who served during the late war
objects SO familiar to those who have served
lifetime IN the navy. Admiral Farragut was al
IL ne daS Ss n ea
It was then abolished and the navy now asks that
It may be resuscitated. The younger otflcers now
coming forward VIII look up to the old nag with
more pride than to the one at present worn, which
signifies nothing at ALL 1t was incorrectly sup
OF flags, but such is not the case. never did ike
the Dag proposed. but tine alteration was
q s En- e os e s
new nag would assimlate with those OF foreign
nations who had adopted Q uniform system. This
w a q uyoC M fSnpo ttvrnn
connected with the foreign Tags as there was with
ours think the change unadvisable. The new nag
satisfaction, the officers of the navy have petitOned
grant. et1L
The torpedo system has occupied my particular
attention during the past year, and although much
new torpedo vessel have yet found time to in
vestigate the experiments mace IN other quarters.
system sim II s nanc TO
play q most important part IN future naval war
fare so that the nation most advanced In torpedo
science will possess great advantages over all
others. TO US, who seem to experience SO much
difficulty in maintaining a navy, 1T is absolutely
attention to the subject OF torpedoes than other
nations. and make liberal outlay for this pur-
interest dlsplayed in the torpedo question in our
navy as Its Importance deserves, for know OF out
two vessels that have gone to quarters and fired
their tOrpedoeS the same as II III action. am
convinced that proper attention will not be given
TO this subject until special instructions issued
Although the theoretical instruction hitherto
given at the torpedo station has been OF very in
teresting KIND, l think much larger amount OF
practical experiments could be substituted with
advantage.
Of1cers would naturally feel more interested in
versed with several who have been under instruc-
tlon at the station, and, although they express
gaineo they seem on the whole not sorry to have
las they suppose) FINISHED with the business"
In my opinion, no one can make good torpedo
of1icer unless his heart Is in the work. and hence
believe It well TO make the duty as attractive as
circumstances will admit
At present the torpedo station IL q theoretical
school without sufficient practice, and the expert.
ments are not altogether suited TO impress the
students with the Importance of the work on which
they are engaged. am pleased to say, however
that some very good and useful practice has lately
been had at Newport while hitting the Monongs-
hela, which Will do more to impress the officers
and crew OF that ship with the power OF torpedoes
than any thing else could have DONE number OF
but some OF the rules OF the station seem to them
inconsistent with the relations that should exist
between seniors and juniors where the latter are
navles-Engiand, for instance-the torpedo IN
struction Is under the immediate supervision of a
rear admiral or officer OF high rank who has the
opportunity OF selecting the best Officers in the
service as assistant Instructors. Two rear ad-
mirals, ten commOdOres and o large number OF
captains and commanders are now under Instruc-
ton in the British Navy. and seeing the difficulty
IN the way OF our future progress in torpedo IN
structIon, recommend that like course be pur
sued with us.
Among all the officers who have studied at the
torpedo station have met with none who seemed to
have invented nything or proposed any improve
ment on what has been done before This is, l
think, because they are not sufficiently interested
1t should be the pCicy TO encourage every oficer
to use Oil his faculties to bring the torpedo sys-
tenn to perfection. In my several visits to the tor
pedo station during the present year and during
my sojourn there OF two months 1t was evident to
me that the means Of instruction were made
quate. There are only two or three small
launches attached to the station, and they
are not at all suited for the work, and there Is no
course Of instruction whatever Tor defence against
torpedoes 1t IS evident that to make the torpedo
school what 1t should be more liberal expendi-
ture Is required and the cost of one small ship OF
war annually for tins purpose would be money
we'll spent. There should be added to the present
means OF instruction four large steel launches,
fifty feet In length ana ten feet BEAM with double
screws for quick manGuvrinQ and all other
modern appliances; also the different kinds OF
torpedoes for harbOr defence the various nets and,