The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-20

as to the naval problems that he
hopes 70 see solved by our meet
ing with Spin. and his sugs
gestions as t6show they are likely
to be solved are, of course, of great
interest. But his brief introduc-
tory remarks as to the broad sig
nihcance of war, are especially i'm
pressive as expressing, in more
daring language than we have
hitherto read Of heard, a thought
that seems to have spread quite
generally in the British mind
1.-The Latin and the Anglo
Saxon" says Mr.. Wilson, so
often in conflict in the past, n
meeting once more in battle and
issues the most momentous hang
upon the conduct of the comba-
tants. The war between the
United States and Spain is a copy
on a very reduced scale and with
some slight notifications of a war
between England and France. 1t
is not my purpose in this article to
work out a detailed comparison.
I can only suggest it. The British
superiority in ~battleships are un-
armoured cruisers as against
France is faithfully reproduced in
the American navy as against
Spain. The great French advan-
tage i'll armoured cruisers finds its
parallel in the Spanish navy.
Even in torpedo craft the numeri-
cal equality which exists between
England and France is repeated
with some correctness in the two
combatant navies. Thus all con-
ditions are favorable to a trial of
our race; upon the conduct of
Admiral Sampson and Commodore
Schley's officers and blue-jackets
depends not merely the honor of
the United States, but the very
existence of the British Empire.
If the men who are hourly expect
ing battle in the Caribbean falter,
if they show any want of courage
or sailormanship-which God for
bid-then let us be certain that an
attack will be delivered upon Eng
land by her enemies, who will con-
Glade, and not unjustly, that the
military qualities of the Anglo
Saxon have declined under the
depressing burden Of civilization.
And as this is the greatest problem
to be settled in the war, so we
shall hope and pray that our race
may emerge with glory from the
test
The news from Manila was at
Mr.. Wilson's command before he
completed his article, but the bot
Ting up of Cervera's feet had not
been accomplished when it went
to press. At this writing it seems
unlikely that any such test of
modern ships in action on a big
scale, such as naval authorities
the world over had hoped for, is to
be possible, for the reason that
the American navy finds it as diff
to get the Spanish ships to
come out to sea and put up a fight,
what the En- ylish navy used to com
plain of in respect to the French
men. But though the outlook as
to this is now disappointing, DEM
onstration of the qualities of cour-
age, skill and sailormanship have
already been ample and convinc-
ing. The machinery of modern
naval war has hardly had a fair
test. But the man behind the
gun and the man on the bridge
have both been tried and not found
wanting. The blood of a con-
luering race has not been in the
least diluted by civilization. In
Iced, it Gems to run redder and
ivelier at the end of the nine
zenith century than ever in all
he worlds history. Drake and
Duncan and Nelson, Hull, De-
,atur, cambridge, Hopkins, Por-
er ard Farragut and the whole
inc will be found living again if
he fortunes of war prove imposing
'nough to develop them. Dewey
81 ov~ ~,ot ~o~ .--.