The times., 1898-07-26
THE MAN BEHIND THE GUN.
American Firing Teaches the Naval
Lesson of the WuP

In all the analyses OF naval engage
ments during the present war published
by foreign exper.s, the greatest value is
given 10 the splendid target practice Of
American gunners. European naval au-
thorities are now convinced that how
ever much Importance certain types of
ships and ordnance may possess in war.
the best things possible in that line are
worthless unless here are trained. cour-
ageous and cool men. as well as officers
aboard the fighting ships to give them
effect. Upon this subject distinguish
ed British officer has given his views in
the London Saturday Review He says:
The technical lessons OF the last naval
battle viii have, of course. to be fully
worked oue by the naval experts. but
even the most superficial view shows
one or two facts Of great Importance
They are not new facts exactly. but old
facts with new faces, and therefore well
worth considering. The first thing that
rikes one is the practical futility of
passive courage, especially at sea. One
might almost as well be a coward as a
man who runs headong on his death.
careless whether he loses his own life.
but also careless whether he kills his
enemy. If the Soaniards had been as
cool and dashing as they were indiffer-
est to death, they might not have beaten
the Americans. but a. least they would
have done an immense deal of damage
to the American fleet. Granted that Ad-
miral Cervera had formed the resolve of
breaking out OF Santiago by daylight
how should he have acted? How, that
is, could he have sold his ships and the
lives of his men dearest? That surely
should have been he question put to
himself by the Spanish admiral
If it had been put, could the answer
have been any other than something of
this kind?- will order each of my
ships as she get clear of the neck of
the bottle which forms the harbor of
Santiago TO choose one of the American
ships. and to fly straight at her. as a
savage dog flies at a man. My ship shall
ram the American If she can, but if not
assail her as furiously as possible. If the
American ship gives way before the
Spanish onslaught, the Spaniard can get
out to sea and escape. If. on the other
hand. the American closes with her, then
there Will be g terce fight, in which one
or the other, or probably both, will go
to the bottom. This will probably hap
pen. but meantime some of the Spanish
ships will have had time TO get into the
open sea. Once there. scatter and fly. is
the order. If Admiral Cervera had
adopted these bold, or. if you like, mad,
tactics. he would no doubt have lost most
of his ships, but then he would have
probably sunk or damaged three or four
of the American vessels, while one or two
of his own would very likely have got
away scot-free. AS il was, he lost all his
ships and did no damage to the Ameri-
cans. He secured this really astonishing
result by, instead of flying at the throats
of the Americans, attempting to run
along the shore with the American fleet
between him and the open sea. As he
and his ships ran, the American poured
upon them storm of shot and shell. and
showed once again that he who runs
away is in far greater danger than even
he who waits to be Killed. but intends to
sell his life as dearly as possible.
THAT is an old-time lesson to be drawn
from the battle of Santiago. Another is
equally clear. equally important, ana al
most equally old. 1t is that in naval war
what really matters is not the armor-
plating. the build of the ship or even
the power OF the engines, Dut tne be-
hind the gun. When Capt. Mahan was
entertained in England at a naval dinner
the speech of the evening was admitted
by all 10 have been made by the Ameri-
can admiral. He reminded his hearers
that strategy and armor. and new types
of gun. and scientific lodges, and all the
rest were very good things but in the
last resort what really mattered was the
man behind the gun. That was true in
the old wars. and, has been proved true
again. both at Manila and at Santiago
Straight shooting is, after all, what wins
the battle. Of course, you had better
have a gun that will fire. and fire a DOW
erful shot at longish range. but even if
you have got it. it is perfectly useless if
the men behind it are too excited or have
had too little practice to be able 10 fire it
straight, and so to hit with it. The most
deadly patent she'll fred from the newest
and most expensive and most scientific
of guns, is no better than an Cd round
shot fired from a gun of Nelson's day if it
drops in the water ard dos S not strike the
enemy's hull or deck In other words su-
periority of gun-fre is now. as in the
days of old, the chief thing to look for"
superb Picnic Season.
The picnic season is in full swing.
The Mount Tabor Sunday school of
Georgetown, and the first Baptist Sum
day school of Kensington spent two days
of last week ar Clan Echo an idaaI rio-