New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-07
NOTES FROM LONDON.
AN ENGLISH ADMIRAL On AMERICAN SHIPS
THE NEWEST NEW JOURNALISM
Mr. o. wILDE'S NEW PLAY.


Mr.. o. wILDES NEW PLAY.
London, April IS.
An Englishman who is an authority in naval
matters Admiral Colomb, wrote some little time
ago a letter on "Monstrous Cruisers " which oe-
serves attention elsewhere than in England. he
PROTESTS against Che intended building Of two
cruisers named in advance the Powerful ana NV
Terrible. each costing IS, 100000 and each oeine
superior in speed, coal capacity. defence a""
armament to any cruisers that exist. or are oeihs
hv;,t in any mart Of the world" Admiral Colomo
gives his reasons for Disappearing of this pohcy
reasons which seem TO the lay mind very CON
yincinp: perhaps because they are so well anu
forciby expressed If Admiral Colomo can hahuie
. fro. az we'll as he handles the pen. he must De
an officer OF exceptional ability. oeiieve' III
fact he is But his arguments are reahv ao-
dressed rather TO naval experts than to the general
upblic and naval experts In America VIII form
their own Judgment them. His letter appears
IN sTbe Times" of March 30, long time ago.
admit
There is, however. point which VIII interest
the general public in America. II relates TO an
cicnt history, to the war of 1872 and Admlrai
Co,omb has put his foot on theory dear to the
soul of the patriot Briton. The patriot Britoh
has. during several generations. gone on asserting
during that war were due 10 kind OF fraud Inc
Americans. people full of stratagems. had punt
limo Of battle ships and called them frioates Inc
trustful Briton had guAelessly matched his iriS-
atcs with what he believed 10 be American rig
ates: and as these latter were really line OF
battle ships. had been beaten by overwhelming
force unfairly applied. This is the tale sun 'oi"
in the British nursery. and elsewhere than IN the
nursery SAYS Admiral Colomb kooscVcits
book explodes the fallacy. Certainly IN cases
the Americans had the advantage In using "a
pounders against our ls-pounders Bat 1t was
not the difference Of pounds in "a pounds when
beat us: il was superior morale, showing rse''
through the superior gunnery OF the American
crews"
That ought 70 dispel or. as the Admiral SAYS.
explode the fallacy 80 dear to the Bri'ish m'ho
oucbt M but will not Patriotism is stronger
than logic. stronger thar facts. and an lgnoran'
rhauvipsm is stronger than patriotism. DO not
the French 10 this day believe and cherish the
legend Of the Nengeur: it, also. long since exposed
and exploded They have panorama Of it at
this moment in Paris Admiral Colomb himself
in the very next sentence. referring to the Shan
non-Cbesapeake fight remarks with compacency
that we turned the tables. not because we were
materially more powerful. but because we hit hcf
ace times while she only hit us i3s times lie
does not think it worth while to give the real
reason Perhaps no man can be expected 10 en-
Mode more than one fallacy at a time especially
AZ the expense of his own country and his own
rrofess;on. "The Daily telegraph, which carries
Chauvinistic Phistinsm to heights untrodden he
fore its time. prints once a year or so british
version of the Shannons victory over the Chesa-
peakc ard will probably continue to reprint II TO
the end of time: all unabashrd The article.
for aught know, Is kept standing in type: Ike
that other legend about the largest circulltion
in the world it, also. often exposed and exploded,
but perseverinqly repeated. Be that as it nav
Admiral Colomb has done. from saor-lillc spirit
and i'm the interests of historical truth hand
sone thing. which we may handsomely acknow
edge.
There are mysteries in journalism, and one of
them il the failure, partial complete, Of thu
revival of an old journal in new circumstances.
I'm country like England. where Conservatism
j. still force and precedent has sanctity equal
10 that of law journalism itself is conservative in
certain respects Novelties are numerous enough
in the weekly and monthly press, but less fire.
ouent among the daily press. When they do
cccur they exe1nplfy, as often as not this spirit
Of antipathv TO change We all remember what
hefel Mr. Frederick Greenwood when he was cl-
bowed out of the old Pail Mall Gazette He
H3u cre3te1 tnht paper Which was, Hot nicI'N ioi
newness, bat BY reason of many excellent innova-
lions Of which Mr.. Greenwood was the author,
real novelty in journalism. But when Mr..
Greenwood. driven from his old home. founded
the St. James's Gazette and transferred his
methods TO that paper, they were found no longer
10 answer The "St. James's" never sue
cess. The readers of the Pail Mall" imagine.
continued 10 read it: the majority Of them. with
true British stoidty, emitting TO notice the change
OF editor change of tone, change in many things.
They did not follow Mr. Greenwood, aid Mr..
Greenwood succeed in creating new constituency.
Something Of the same sort happened the other
day when Mr.. Yates Thompson sold the Pail
MALI 10 Mr. Astor. Mr.. Yates Thompson chose
10 regard the paper Of which he was proprietor as
90 much merchandise lie sold it as he would
sell house a bale of cotton lie never trOub
lei himself, apparently. to inquire what the new
owner would do with it, q what side in politics
il might take in new hands. Perhaps he thought
the editor and his staff could be transferred with
, the other furniture and that they would De pre-
pared to edit it in Conservative sense just
readily as in Liberal sense. Whatever he
shough', Mr. f. T. Cook, it presently appeared,
had views of his own, and his colleagues had.
The paper might be in the market. but they were
not. nor their opinions and CONVICTIONS They
signed, and Mr.. Cook, all the world Of jour
nalism knows, with the financial aid Of Mr.
Newnss. NJ p, founded "The Westminster Ga
zette
Now comes the curious part Of the story. Mr.
Cook has, to considerable extent, repeated the
experiment of Mr. Greenwood: and the case is
now even stronger because Mr.. Cook took with
lin TO The Westminster Gazette" not only him
self but nearly every man who had an important
post on the Pail Mall" Yet the new West
minister" edited by the same men, built on the
same lines, pursuing the policy, by the same
methods. and aiming at the same ends, is not
the old "Pall Mall" Something is wanting. 1t
Is hard TO say what. Perhaps il is prestige. Per-
laps it is the fault of the public; it may be