The age-herald., 1898-07-11
WHY OUR
 FLEETS WON

luo WOflu 10 uFdW Qe1lniJe cOncluSlOnS dS to the lessons learned from the brief. de- cisive conflicts afloat, marked as they have been by the marvellous success of Ameri- can naval methods. The insignifcance of the injuries inflicted upon American vessels and the infinitely small loss of life, though formidable land Notifications have been as- saulted, contrasting strongly with the sweeping Spanish losses of material and men, have been astounding
 Secretary Long gives four reasons for this; First the skill and mechanical genius of our people in building the best ships; second, the personnel of our navy Is high, very high, although the navy is pald less than the army or the marine corps, many of it's officers possessing high scientific attainments and the men being efficient; third, no money has been better appropriated by congress for the navy than that for target practice: fourth the cooperation of subordnates about the de- partment. When the navy department saw that war was approaching the bureau chiefs were called together and told they would be held personally responsible for the effcincy of their various departments. They were given every reasonab ble amount oI supplies and told that the navy must be placed In thorough condition. They made their estimates and their acquisitions upon the SoO,oOOOOO fund were promptly honored. Not enough credit has been given these men who made success possible by having the navy prepared.
 one of the most serious questions attend- ant upon the invasion of Cuba and Puerto Rico will he af he the troops. While the mountainous DOT tions of both islands have springs and run ming streams, in the higher regions clear and sparkling, and which will be availa- ble after the islands are in our possession, yet along the coasts the supply is made quate. Havana is not we'll furnished, the elsterns containing rain water filled with potential germs of cholera and yellow fe- yer. There are two sources of water sup ply for Havana-one, the old Carlos ". aqueduct, a comparatively small ditch, bringing water from the Almendares river, about six miles away; the other is called the Vento aqueduct supplied by a spring some fifteen miles out in the country Both could be easily destroyed by an invading force and Havana plunged into the horrors of water famine, which would be an effective if cruel accessory to d successful siege.
 4ne mountains of Cuba abound with springs of water forced up from suDterran- can depths, and even in the sea off the southwest coast there. is at least one inl- meIse volume of fresh water buobling up, from which the fishermen who know the locality fill their water casks. This would be q valuable acquisition for our fleets if they should chance to. operate in the or{ {r.4na Ssa,, Ant fo Iat, of Pines.
 IL IoHows as a matter of course that d people dwelling in such climate, where it is hot eleven months and d half out of every twelve, will have d great variety of beverages. The Cubanos and Puerto Riquenos have but d slight acquaintance with soda fountains. l believe there $ only one in Havana. And in the country districts they rarely have ice but they make an assortment of native beverages which is sufficient for their needs, some derived from old Spain, others from the aboriginal inhabitants whom they exter- minated. ...-.- .--.
 In the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe the people consume a great quantity of light wines from France, to- gether with "sazeuse,' bottled soda. water. In the English islands the plant CTS and merchants use Scotch whisky and soda shrub plain soda and lmeade In Jamaica, as well as in St. Thomas and Santa Cruz, the best of whisky is only 50 cents a bottle, champagne half what it is here, and other imported liquors relatively cheap. Then there is the native rum, which old residents declare is the only tropical drink which can be taken with impunity, but which ought to be old and well matured.
 The Spaniards, however, whatever we may say against them to their other | tfTt,,1 fr. ious. Like the French, if they indulge in a sip of brandy, Catalan wine or sherry they think they are wildly dissipating Their favorite soft drinks are orange water orchata (made from almonds etc.), lemonade, pineapple water, beer, "chcha" almost any sweet juice fermented and mixed with water-and various concoc- 1 tions from cane juice maize, or Indian corn. There Is a mild drink in use in Mexico which doubtless would be very good for our soldiers called "tolli." It is made by mixing corn meal, somewhat fer mented, with water, and is strengthening and refreshing. No Indian laborer in Yuca- tan southern Mexico will go to work without his modicum of 'atoll upon which he will subsist almost entirely with his tortillas, and it would not be bad idea to supply our men with something similar. The Indians of Mexico as well as the poorer classes of Cuba and Puerto Rico, are practically vegetarians, and 
 there is no doubt that abstinence from animal food is conducive to health in the tropics.
 It Is always in order to abuse the quar- termaster's department, and the members of that corps in our army are now getting it right and left. They are to blame for everything that goes wrong, and they get no credit when things go right. It is the most important branch of the army for everyfhino depapdc itc J management. The ordnance corps fur nishes the ammunition and the guns, the cofnmissary provides food, but the quarter master is responsible for the delivery of all supplies and equipments, and the other branches of the service are naturally de- pendent upon it. We have no great men now in charge of that department like Montgomery Meigs, who was chief quar- termaster during the war of the rebellion, and as MT. Lincoln used to say, had more responsibility than General Grant and was entitled to more praise. The inability of