St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-28
SHIPS AND
Let Us Be Sure We Are Right BE
fore We Go Ahead.

San Francisco Chronicle.
The United States has fairly entered
upon the work of constructing navy.
Thus far our efforts have been confined
TO building swift cruisers and commerce
d~eStroyerS, which cannot in s~trictness
be classed as ships of war, since they
would not lbs able TO hold their own in Il
naval engagement against the fighting
ships of other maritime powers; but the
next step will be the construction of
vessels heavily armOrPd and carrying
guns of great weight and large calibtr,
which will be intended % only to de-
fend themselves, but TO wage offensive
naval warfare.
In England no subject has engrOssed
more of the public attention than naval
construction n the making of enor-
nous amor with which to arm them.
The one idea has been to armor plate
their vessels as heavily as possible. and
to equip them with the largest cannon
they can carry. The plates have gone
on Increasing in thickness and the guns
IN weight until il would seem that the
limit must have been nearly reached,
for. obviously. there is Il limit beyond
which human ingenuity cannot proceed.
Within the last few months there has
been a decided reaction in England on
the subject under discussion, as Il
glance at the reviews and magazines
will slow Some very acute critics of
naval affairs, who have made such mat
tiers q close study, do rot hesitate to de
clare that the line must be drawn now;
That the uOSt recent ships OF war are y
source OF constant danger to their
officers and crews; that they are lifted
up with complicated and delicately ad-
lnSfn1 tplnIhii. nrI-s h If ~. 20, iS an,,tn,+
risk of their breaking down, and that
the guns with which they are armed are
extremely Short-lived and III danger of
becoming disabled after 4 few shots
fired frCm them, and of becoming there
after only useless lumber.
One writer in particular calls atten-
tan 10 the fact that while the enor-
mOuSly thick steel arnUr ma insure
comparative immunity from the e~neny's
artillery, at the same time it makes. the
destruction OF all on board certain if the
marine monster is once penetrated bv
a Shell or a torpedo, or 10y being rammed
ny the sharp PROV Of an enemY'S vessel.
He declares with much appearance of
truth that a ship so situated would sink
IN an instant with all on board, and that
escape would be practically impossible.
From this fact, which is hardly dis
putaDle, lie draws the conclusion that
the morale of the crews Of modern war
ships cannO be equal to that of the
crews of wooden ships in the oIden
times. He points hi that the imposs!-
bilitY of escape is extremely demoraliz-
ing even to the bravesu men, and that
the inducement TO surrender Instead of
fighting Il ship at odds must be very
powerful. lie instances old fashioned
ships which tonight and Won victories
even when shot through and through,
and concludes tnat personal bravery
cannot be cultivated successfully OIL
board of ships of war, which must sink
OF surrender if attacked by a superior
force.
While these conclusions may be
forced or overdrawn, there is enough in
them to make the people Of the United
States consider before going too eyten-
siyely into the construction of enormous
Steel-clad fighting machines. We must
have a navy,as is admitted on all hands,
but American ingenuity must devise
some scheme for increasing the power
of fiotation of our ships SO that a shot
between wind and water or q blow of a
ram need not necessarily consign all Oh
board to the horrors of a death by
dr,,u,niun