New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-01

the widest inventor had ever oreaiheu' '"''e
seemed rothing TO prevent ship OF exceptional
power from running amuck through "noie
fleet. But after al the details of the battle
were considered, it seen that II Tegetthoh
had been fairly matched as a commander, he
would never have been able to approach MS
opponent without suffering vast damage to his
own vessel. The final verdict was that the
Austrian had improved a rare chance but that
after his exploits. before. the real dependence
of warsnips must be on their guns. not on their
rams This too. in face OF the fact that the
Italian navy was rich In big rifed guns, more
| than two 10 one as compared with her OPP
ponent The battle resolved itself at last Into
| failure of men, no, of fighting machines. Per-
sano, the Italian admiral. had no controi over
his subordinates and they were as Undecided
| In action he. The men had no training
| Italy" remarks MI Wilson, "chose the royai
| road to defeat. She built a great ironclad heet
without training officers and men to take IL INTO
action. She forgoi that ships alone are value-
| less. and that Armstrong guns. be they never
| so heavy must have men behind them who can
| shoot st, aight Sh. had no naval STAFF with IN
| formation and plans Of action ready" 1t just
| happened that the same possible dsorganization
| In the Austrian navy was counteracted by
man with a genius for naval affairs. who won
| obedience from the most unwilling crews.
| All the experience with rams and torpedoes
| in South American waters Is held by Mr.. Will
! son to be only tentative Ship duels are not
| decisive In the case Of Powers whose resources
are great Even the battles Of Haiyang and
| Wei-Hai-Wei were too one-sded to indicate the
| future Of naval warfare. The question is still
| an open one whether the better battle forma-
ton is Zine ahead" or Zine abreast" 1t is
| still uncertain what position torpedo-poa'S
| should occupy relative to great battle-shpa
| Are they to be deployed like skirmishers TO
| open the fight and disorder the enemy's line!
! In that one may look tor battle or 1T
| tie boats under the guns OF the great ships. for
one fleet Will not submit to torpcdoes without
| using its own. On the other hand, the torpedo
| craft may be held back to be used as destroyers
| against ships already half-conquered Are
light, meagrcly armored or unarmored cruisers
| to wait idly In the second line the outcome OF
| the battle among the giants. or Will they be
| used for distant fighting from the outset or the
| conflict? Mr. Wilson does not decide these ques-
| lions He Ia certain that the main line OF bat
| tie will consist of the biggest and strongest
| ships: that the main reliance of the warriors
| will be on the accuracy and destructiveness OF
| their guns; that small arms are practica"y op'
| solete In war at sea: that only aft"r tEe piS
guns and quick firing artillery have done their
worst will the ram be used, and by that time
the victim ship will look like wreck above
| the armor line.
Armor will not save life. 1t Will Simply pro-
| tect the gunners in keeping up the nght' ""c"
the hattie Is ended with the ram or the torpedo,
| the only hope for the men on beaten ana sni"-
ing ship will be In the wiling ness Of the enemy
| i
| still hot they will be left to drown, II they are
| even lucky enough to escape from their iron
| tomb This new kind of war has brought new
| horrors Imagine the smothering crew OF an
overturned vessel. Think Of a mass OF iron az
| big as an office safe entering IN open port ana
| Nkirling round and round the interior wall %
gun-turret, smashing everything III ~, hH ro"a ~,
| Picture the dreadful horror ~ engineers an'
! stokers when their ship caTccns ana 'hclr '",-
| naccs empty the nres upon them Many poop"
| have wasted their time Dreaming What thc ~
| ferral regions like at their worst o"ct
| persons will need no aid from imagira'ioh II
| they emerge alive from the bowels OF a
battling. sinking, iron warshlp Think OF w.
mysterious fate Of the British ship the captain
| the still more mysterious fate Of n" Spanish
cruiser Rena Regente and the accidental ram
| ming Of the German GrOsser Kurftrst ana ""
| British Victoria. Such calamities are WHAT
sailors must now be prepared for
While Mr. Wilson IS bc%'ldered amorg tne
| new problems and perls which armored naVios
| offer Captain Mahan In his Introduction to IN"
work takes occasion to show that the most I'M
| portant questions are still what they have al
ways been. He points ont that the almost uni
yersal disposition ma infested a few years ago
"to look upon past naval history as closed
book. obsolete for all useful purposes. has be-
gun 10 give way II Is not In specializing on the
| future but In STUDYING !ntently all the lessons
| OF the past that the best preparation can be
| attained for meeting unsOlve1 problems when
naval officers realize this. remarks Captain Ma
| han they will feel that they no longer be-
| long TO q profession In chaotic state OF evoln-
| ton, whose destiny no man can foresee ana OF
| whose principles none can affirm