The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-07-01

no one versed In the English language can
read the sentences above quoted without feeling
Indignant that the word disposition" should
b. spoken OF m placed" Bat No may DO told
that II" refers to force" Oh, no; It might
roller to the force. but there does not happen
Ia be any such antecedent In thu septsace. On
the same page. when siiliRg vessels are said
TO have been ln'd aside 40 steam vesseh
could be obtained" the Admiral does not mean
that the exclusion took place because" but
"as fast ~" steam vessels could DO got.
As an example OF tho hopeless sRari In which
the author continually involves himself. take
sentence on page .. where speaking of doublo-
turrsted vessels OF an Improved monitor type
that were. In their day. the strongest vessels
anoat. he sAvs that at the prssent Tina "they
would be hut paper ships under Tho Are Of
many vessels 81 nearly ali II Tia naviss oil the
world" OF course tho Admiral wished 70 nay
chat almost any one Of the WORLDS navies in
caudes many vessels under whose Gre the I'm
proved monitors would be but paper ships."
This he fails to say. however. On the same
page we read about our flag waviag over
wide and broad land" Are We to undsrstsnd
that the Admiral denies the property Of length
10 geographical divisions. or that he pos4uiasea
thrce dimensions Of . SURFACED Or does he
mean the Same thing BY 'wide'' and broad.
and join tho two under the impression that
pleonasm is eloauencs2 On page 10 We arc
taught what lack Of practical experience
and want Of preparation costs lsicI . nation"
and We hear about naval and military sstab-
lishments being trained to their duties"
How can an establishment" have duties"
and By what discipline shall IL be dlsciplined 2
Another clumsy sentence 10 encountered on
page IL: II vessels were captured even Ia
entering the principal ports. II was due rather
tn the utiit V nj ha ttau min e.
run the blockade than to the effectiveness Of
the force employed to prevent It." To make
sense OF this passave. the first It" must Of
course be construed to mean the capture"
and the second " 1t" tho running OF the block
ade." but. 80 far a. synta1 is concerned. each
OF tho its" might moan anything.
1t is not our purpose to follow Admiral Am
men through u volume OF 25O pagss. We know
very little about the range and quality OF the
instruction given ut the Annapolis Naval Acad.
envy. but We trust that few Of the young men
who are receiving there an education at the
cost Of thS taxpayers would be guilty OF tho
blunders In English syntax or Of tho sins
against the laws OF precise expression with
which this unIucky contribution to American
naval history Is thickfy strewn., That Admiral
Ammen should have ventured on the task OF
literary exposition Is phenomenon that would
be tnexplicable but for the widespread reluc-
tance to recognize the necessity OF special apti-
tudss and training for literary work. Any mil
itary or naval officer who has scrubbed re-
port. or any merchant who has concoctsd a
business letter. Is avowedly or secretly con-
vinced that II ho should chance to be cashiered
or become bankrupt he could easily earn
comfortable subsistence by his pen. Not few
OF Thorn hug tho pleasing delusion up to their
lntest hour. and they only ara awakened from
the dream who. like the author Of this volume.
put their supposed capacity to the test Of expe-
rience. We arc bound to say to Admiral Am
men. in all irankness. that his own gyrntions
on the printed page aro not whit less fnugha-
ble than are the plungings and hounderings OF
scasick landsman on the quarter deck.
M.W.H.