Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1890-05-31
The Naval Fight of the Future.
May Forum,

! May Forum
Each vessel will clear for action
as soon as the other is disc.rncl-
perhaps five miles away. Each
will probably slow down at first,
in order to gain time for preparas
ton, and especially for getting the
steam pressure up to the highest
point. Forced draft will at once lie
started, and the subdued roar of
the air driven through the furnaces,
accelerate combustion, and the
whir of the dynamos will be added
to the guns hreech blocks, as the Y
are swung open to admit the pro-
iectile to the hrecch, the hum of
the ammunitiol,-hoist raising pow.
der and shell to the decks. and the
quiet, firm orders Of authority. On
deck, the Gatling guns and reso|y-
ing cannon, and the rapia-fre guns
III the tops, are go, noisclcssly into
readiness: tic captain takes his
place in the armored coming tower
With the chief qu"rtcrmaster and
and his aid, III, executive officer
assumes charge Of the butterv, and
| remains near ut hand to take the
captains place in case Of his death
or disability; the range finders are
got into position, and the officer in
charge begins to report from time
e time the distance Of the enemy,
now drawing closer.
Probably not a shot will he fred
until this distance is reduced to
1000 yards, and probably 10th
ships will keep pointed toward each
other until that timc. But nov
what will the contestants do? It
has been held that both will ad-
vance steadily toward each other
each commander hoping that somo
false move On the part Of his ads
vcrsary will enable him to rush
forward, discharge his bow torpedo
at 500 yards and perhaps follow it
up with his ram and end the fight
at once-until they have approached
so close, say 800 yards, that neither
dares to swcver lest he himself be
rammod SO that ships will at
length collide end on, and may ba
both sink.
The various inventions Of tho
past few years-rupid fire guns,
high explosives, torpedocs, sui
marine oats, dynamite guns, range
finders; the increased power and
perfection of steam and electric
machinery; the Improvements III
powder ind in steel for projectiles
and for armor-have not revolu-
tionized naval science 50 much as
they have broadened it. The
principles of strategy remain the
same, and SO does the necessity
for the seaman's skill. Engineers
construct, inventors invent, expert
-.
mcnts are tried, sham battles are
fought, and heated discussions
agitate the naval mind; but the
only thing that can determine tho
real condition Of modern naval
warefare is modern naval war.
The Dcstin Of Canada.
May Forum,
Canada is a disjointcd tier Of
provinces lying along the northern
edge Of a continent Inhabited by Il
population identical with the bulk
Of her own and with which her
own is being rapidly fused by re-
1
ciprocal migration. The American
continent forms her natural market
and she is divided from it only by
a conventional line. The funda-
mental institutions Of the two mas
ses Of population, as well as their
race, language and religion, are the
same. Will the Canadian provinces
ultimately gravitate toward their
own continent, or viii they always
remain separate from it and con-
nccted with a kingdom on the other
side Of the Atlantic? That is the
Canadian problem. The Canadians
by their present political relations
are excluded from their natural
market. To exclude people from,
their natural market is to condemn
them to commercial atrophy, which
Ii, fact is the lot Of Canada. Can
the Canadians be expected to en-
durc this forever? Would tho
British themselves endure it? Cana
dians are not knights errant in
quest of the Holy Grail; they are
hushandmell, mechanics and trades
men in quest Of bread; and most Of
them working hard and living hard