The morning times., 1897-01-10
bout Capt. Mahan which illustrates his

ia HI 1Os 1874
about Capt Mahan which illustrates his
Shortly after his work on the influence OF
sea power upon history was reproduced in
England a vacancy occurred in the profes
sorship Of modern history at Oxford, one
OF Engiand's great universities. The Lon
don Times, in II leading editorial, suggest
ed that it woulc be very handsome and
eminently suitable thing to tender this
place TO Capt. Mahan. The pay is about
three times as much as he was receiving as
a captain in the navy. But to accept it the
candidate must be an Englishman. Il will
never renounce my Nationality he said 10
q friend, land all the fonors of the world
would not tempt me. Thcnthere is another
thing. The United States educated my
father and me. II can do aaght that will
make any return for that, mean TO do it
for my native land That is the type of
nan Capt. Mahan is. He Is son of old
Dennis Hart Mahan of Virginia, who grad
uated from the United States Military
aprofessor of that academy for forty years.
No wonder that Capt. Mahan is the man
he is. spriuging from such good Virginia
stock. / heard vice admiral OF the Eng
lish navy say once that the younger Off
GERS of the United States Navy. were the
best educated men OF their class III the
world. A very high compliment, but one
that circuTns talees have shown is well de-
served
And while talking of the United States
Navy, it may be interesting to some of the
naval readers Of The Times to know how
OF the same profession abroad. late
impression OF the Paris journal, lie Temps,
printed very interesting talk with Vice
Admiral Makaroff, of the Russian navy,
the officer who made the contracts with
the Carnegie Company and the Bethlehem.
Pa, Steel Works for 1000 tons OF Har-
veyiZed steel arInor plates for the new
seagoing armored ships Russia is now
building. After speaking of the generous
hospitality ne was shown everywhere, he
says: America is getting TO have fine
fleet. Ship for ship, her war vessels are
the equal. and in some respects, the su-
perior, OF anything afloat of their respective
classes Their fast unarmored cruisers. the
Minneapolis and Columbia, are the finest
types OF their kind OF which / have any
knowledge. / am gl3,l to see America
recovering her ancient prestige on the ocean.
With but twelve frigates in 1912, she
dared England with three great fleets,
each of sixty saii OF the line, and in three
fourths OF her sea fights the young republic
was successful. The truth is, that the
Ainericans-like the rest of the Anglo
Saxon peoples-take to the sea like young
gulls.
The United States is completing some of
the most formidable fighting machines in
the world. Her vessels OF the Monitor
class, like the Puritan, the Amphtrite and
the Miantonomah. have but about two
feet of arrnor exposed and two turrets
With their immense tweive-inch and thir-
teen-inch rifles, at a mile distant, know
not OF more than a dozen ships in the
world that they could not disable or sink
in very few rounds. American naval
gunnery has always been famed for its
deadly accuracy. 1t gave their few ships
Il decided advantage in their war of
1919 with England, and the guns / saw
Were as good, if not more powerful,
than any OF the same weight that know
of in Europe. Their 10o-pound rifle is,
according to its tests, Is per cent high
er powered than any of Krupps of the
sane caliber. America has added this
! ear (1S96) twelve vessels to her fleet,
and her arunored seagoing ships are the
equals OF anything afloat." In answer to
the fighting strength of the American navy
the admiral said: Il think the States have
about sixty war vessels now, and six
more of the highest possible quality were
contracted for, while l was in America
1t is comfortable to know that so thor
ougis judge and so competent a critic
should speak OF the United States as this !
officefioes. Buttiien, the twonations have |
been friends for an hundred years.