The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-29
superiority of American wnrshIps.

superiority OF American N0rshfpHs
The vast array Of England's powerful
and destructive engines Of naval warfare,
which with representative warships from
other naval powers assembled at Spithead,
marked the closing of the queens jubilee
celebration, have suggested several les
sons which will be topics of discussion for
some time to come. 1t was an evidence
that England's policy of building two
warships where a rival power builds one,
has been substantially adhered TO. With
but half her vast navy at the review, she
had sufficient to strengthen the impress
sion that no other nation need harbor
dreams of naval supremacy, at least not
at this stage of the progress of her naval
prowess.
OF course the fact that England's navy
is a necessity to her on account of her
geographical position, and the wide sepa-
ration Of her numerous provinces, must be
taken into consideration. Notwithstand-
ing her strength in numbers. of warships
and in ponderous naval machinery, how
ever, Mr.. w. Laird Cloves of London,
naval expert, concludes that il would be
wrong to suggest that the British have
nothing to learn from the foreign naVies
or from the foreign warships which were
assembled at Spithead. After speaking of
the Russian warship Rossia. with her
three screws and construction to burn
either coal or petroleum. two features
lacking in all of Engand's large ships,
Mr.. Cloves devotes considerable attention
to the American cruiser Brooklyn, which
he says lis capable of suggesting many
things connected with the adaptation of
electricity to the work of the ship. We
are at least five or six years behind some
other countries, whereas America certain
ly leads the van. Some of the Brooklyn's
electrical devices are, perhaps, a little too
delicate and too complicated or unneces-
sary; but the gear for hosting proiectiles
and ammunition to the guns, and the ma
chinery for working the turrets are so
admirable that l recall with a blush of
shame the fact that only one of the Brit
ish men-of-war is fitted with electrical
shot hoists.'
Mr. Cloves here calls attention to one
of the leading points in the superiority of
American men-of-war. AS it will proba-
bly, never be necessary, and certainly there
should never be any occasion for the
United States to go abroad to war, we
will never need such a gigantic navy as
that possessed by England. If there
should be any fighting to be done with
any foreign power it is more than likely
to be along our own coasts and in defense
of our own ports. The lesson to be
learned, therefore. is to aim at superiority
in every point in the construction of
American warships, so that upon their
own battlefield they may be invincible to
attacking foes. Right makes Might"
the motto OF the Brooklyn, is a good one,
and it should be, too, the American policy.
But even in defense, right is never so
strong as when reinforced by the best
quality of steel. We do not anticipate an
attack, but that is not an argument
against being prepared for defense. And
there is no better preparation than, in
the first place, right" and in the second,
superiority in armor-plates, superiority in
armament, superiority in construction of
our warships and superiority in crews,
which is to say, American crews.