The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-27
OUR CHANCES In WAR.
".i WOULD BE A TREMENDOUS CON-
TRACT" SAYS ADMIRAL BRAlNE.


seems Inocuiated with a War I>ser.
What British Battieships Would DO.
Navics Compared.
WAR with England would be tremen-
dous contract, said Rear Admiral Braine
to a reporter at the Brooklyn navy yard,
'and one for which would not like 10 be
responsible. do not think that we are
at all prepared to fight SO formidable an
adversary, nor would like TO predict tho
results IL we attempted 1t. But can say
this for the navy, and say IL confidently
you may be sure that IL will respond at
once TO the call OF duty, as 1t has always
done, and will do the best with tho facili-
LES ut its command that brave men can do.
"But what an inadequate cause it would
bo Oh which to base conflict SO tremen-
dous. Tho whole business looks To me
political. II we are to step into the quar-
rels of all those countries in South Amer
lea, It seems to me that we shall have our
hands full. Well have to fight Spain and
France as we'll as England. IL will be
case of putting beggar on horseback and
riding TO the devil. Suppose that France
and England and Belgium were to put
their heads together and say, you go to
tho deucer What would we do then? Why,
France and Brazil are even now engaged
in some sort of quarrel, and there are
various other boundary disputes going on
Can we run all of themf"
Rear Admiral Rowe, retired, the hero
of tho 100 gunboats" OF the civil war,
those boats which, beginning with the
John Adams, were built and equipped in
80 days, armed with IL inch guns, and
which rendered such effective service in
that much less scientific conflict, made no
bones of discussing the matter from n
practical standpoint or Of declaring that
the odds against the United States would
be almost overwhelming.
What would England do on the out
break of hostilities?" he asked. Would
she not at once descend on Portland, Bos-
ton, New York, Baltimore, Charleston,
Savannah, to capture or destroy them!
What could we do to prevent her9 Have
we single battleship to stem the tide OF
her impetuous march? It Is the battle
ships that would do the business. They
are the only things to settle the affairs OF
nations. Have weanything adequate with
which to oppose themg IL we have, have
not heard of IL. know that New York
has admirable coast defenses partially
completed, but ! doubt IL even New York
We might succeed, perhaps, against the
deep Italian or French war vessels, but
England has battleships of lighter draft
They could come much closer in than YES
sells of the Italian build"
"But how about these English battle
ships? Could they successfully cross the
ocean,
"Of course they could. England builds
ships which could go around the world II
necessary"
"But did not the case of the Victoria,
the 50, 900, 600 battleship, sunk by slight
collision with the Camperdown, show that
those great armored vessels are not always
to be depended on to keep on top OF wa
terS'
"That was an accident, 4" continued Ad-
mral Rowe. 1T really could not be
counted on. No; IL there Is TO be n war,
il will be naval war. The land forces
will play minor part, and in discussing
IL we must realize that the chief work
must DO done upon the water. There
would, of course, be some operations on
tho Canadian frontier, but even there we
are not SO strong as some people think.
"we have neither Qualifications nor
ships on the great lakes, while Canada has
both. The Canadian frontier is bristling
with fortifoations. With her ship canals
she could fill the great lakes with gun
boats In short order, and we have nothing
TO contend against them. AS long ago as
1871 besought our government 70 put
two swarships In the lakes and form
naval station, with n commodore In COM
mand. commanded on the lakes during
part of tho war OF the rebellion and
then learned by practical experience the
Importance Of protecting them. But, as
usual, nothing was donc.
"It Is knotty problem. i don't know
what they are going To do. We navy peo-
pile have been praying for years for fortih.
cations and guns and ships. Now the
tino has ccme when we ought to bc pre-
pared, and we amt. We have got much
more than we had ten years ago, but moth
ing that would stop an armorod ship. We
could perhaps make an end of British COM
mcrce, and our commerce destroyers would
render invaluable service, but oven IL we
did would IL forco England 10 shorten the
war by single day. IL never has done so
before.
"Thc navy IL not anxious 10 fight.
think that Il is Is mistaken impression.
No ono certainly who has seen the deplor-
able results Of fighting IL anxious 20 enter
merits Of tho English and American ma.
vies, that has rot been tried since 1919
and remains to bc seen. think this whole
matter will set our statesmen to thinking.
We could have finished the war Of the re-
belllon in rs months " wo had been pro
pared for H. The same rule holds now.
II cannot understand the warllko senti-
mcnt which has sprung up In this country
In tho past year. Everybody seems anxious
90 havo n fight of sonic sort. Ii j. n rogu-
lar fever, an epidemic. Have people for
Cotton what war ineansY In is 30 yenrs
since the last war; and tho country has
not recovered from the blow yet
a naval officer i'm active service, who
said that he could not permit the nso of
his name. n IL was contrary tn the regu.
lations. said that our navy could put up a
strong fight even now, but II was qucs.
tiopable whether tho Injury which II could