Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-09-21
Ten Howell torpedoes would probab

Ten Howell torpedoes would probab
ly be expended at cost of $50 900.
Thus, the cost of ammunition ant
torpedoes would be $74,353. Adding
$50 for additional coal consumption
which would not be greater than that
of the Cincinnati, as the horsepower
is nearly the same-we find the tota'
cost of the fifteen minutes action tc
be $74 ,503.
In all this we have not considered
the damage done to the ship by
the enemy's fire or the pension.
the Government SO properly and
literally grants to all who are injured
or to those dependent upon the men
who fall. 1t is impossible to estimate
even in the rudest way what amount
OF money would cover either OF these
items. Neither has the cost of the
enemy's fire been included, the total
of nearly $4,000 being the expenditure
of the Indiana alone.
The first cost of the Indiana will ex.
ceed $4,000,00O. Actions have been
fought in which the condition OF the
victorious ship has been such as to
place her beyond repair; while in
other actions the defeated vessel
though completely hors du combat,
could be put in an efficient condition
without going into port, and be ready to
fight under the flag of the victor few
hours after the battle. A notable case
OF this kind occurred during the late
war between Chile and Peru. The
Huascar was completely disabled in
her fight with the Blanca Encalada,
and after a gallant resistance sur
rendered. Had the action been con-
tinued ten minutes longer the Huascar
would probably have gone down. She
was riddled with shot, the turret was
jammed, the coming tower was
demolished and all means of steering
had been shot away. In six hours
after the battle the Chileans had re-
paired her 80 that she was in condi.
ton to 60 into action again.
Some years ago, before ammunition
was so costly as it is now, an English
naval officer humorously remarked
that the safest way to be victorious in
a war was to draw the enemy's fire
and let him ruin himself by expending
ammunition
| THESE FIGURES AND JAPAN.
In the present war in the East ia.
pan has started out brilliantly by
practically asserting her mastery OF
the sea and trying to force China to
send all troops, provisions and muni-
tions of war by long and very diff
cult road through Corea. But it is
doubtful how long Japan can hold the
sea, while it is certain that China can
play a waiting game. The two nsvies
are about equal in tonnage, but China
has five modern armored vessels, while
Japan, properly speaking, has only
one; and it is the armored vessels
which count in the long run. Even
supposing that by mobilizing all oil
her &C 600 tons OF naval war material
including many small gunboats, Japan
should succeed in keeping the Chinese
from maintaining their communica-
tions open by the sea, she might soon
become exhausted by the great ex.
pense entailed.
Japan is at best not a wealthy coun.
try, and the treaties which introduced
to her our modern civilization were so
framed by European diplomats that it
was impossible for her to raise by a
tariff on imports the revenue neces-
sary for her expenses even in times Of
peace.
China, on the contrary, is enor.
mously wealthy, and could carry on
indefinitely q desultory warfare which
would ruin Japan. 1t is therefore
Japan's evident policy to upset all
such calculations by pushing the Wal
energetically, striking China, not nee.
essarily in Corea, but wherever and
whenever she can, and, by destroying
her navy. make retaliation impossible
The forces involved are dash and
skill on the one side and imperturba.
bility joined with almost measureless
resources on the other. Japan is al
ready straining every nerve; China
has not yet awakened to the fact that
she is seriously threatened. Japan
must hope to whip her enemy before
the latter has time to mobilize on q
large scale, and, if let alone, she may
do it.
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