The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-26
The New Navy Is Safe.


Had the Maine blown up in any other
harbor than Havana there would un-
doubtrdly have becn an instant and
general clamor in this country against
the expenditure OF more of the nations
money in unsafe warships. 1t had been
dincut at hest 70 get sufficient au-
thorizatiOn from public sentiment TO
enable the naval experts at Washing
ton to make what little progress they
have made toward the development Of
modern navy. Money for the new
war craft had been voted by congress,
from time to time, grudgingly and
with Il considerable minority alleging
in strenuous fashion that it was simply
tnrowing money away
The first thought which suggested
itsclf to many Of us upon receipt of the
news Of the Maine disaster was that
it sgnfied an abrupt halt to further
naval progress along present lines We
are glad that that rorcboding has not
been justified. az we embrace this
carly opportunity to confess our mis-
take As Captain Mahan, the greatest
living authority on naval matters,
said at the time: The disposition
to condemn tho battle ship offhand as
fighting machine. whether the as
sumption be that the Maine perished
from internal causes or from external,
can proceed only from ignorance Of
the facts Of battle ship construction
in general and consequent mistaken
inference as to the results of future
naval battles. Professional men knew
before that such ships had a narrow
margin in stability, and they knew also
that the narrow margin, quite sufficient
for safety under ordinary circum-
stances. might under unusual condi-
tons cause what then happened. But
that narrow margin OF stability con-
-tituted a necessary risk. Ships OF
that character sway with easier move
rnent than those which are stiffer.
They are therefore better gun plat
forms; give better shooting. and to
shoot straight to the mark is an end
so primary in a ship of war as to
justify some risk to attain it,"
Captain Mahan went further In his
address at the banquet Of the Sons of
Cincinnati at Princeton, n. j., on
Washingtins birthday, from which the
above quotation is made, he also said
Consider, however the number of wal
ships that are analogous in character
II not in particular detail to the Maine
which are traversing the ocean and
having on board coal and powder year
in and year out without accident, and
you will realize at once how prepOster-
Gus it is to assume that because the
effects OF explosion are fearful the
danger ot explosion is great. ! assure
you, speaking as a seaman and as a
naval oiliCer. that any man that
crosses the ocean in a passenger
steamer undertakes in a week greater
risk from collision than any seaman
on board n ship of war does from ex-
plosion in the course OF year" The
common sense embodied in these and
similar utterances made an immediate
impression ON the public mind, and
We believe it is not out of the way to
affirm that even should the court of in
uury into the Maine disaster bring in
verdict unreservedly acquitting
Spain and placing the whole respon-
sibility upon accident there would he
Intelligence enough among the Ameri-
can people successfully to withstand
the onslaught Of those who oppose
our navy and want to see its develop
nent arrested. In that case there
would undoubtedly be a demand for
the avoidance in future construction
ot the weak points disclosed by the
Maine. hut with this prOviso the COM
nand from the people would continue
to he TO go ahead.
ON the contrary, n finding that the
Maine was sent to her doom by malice
or by the negligence OF those not con
nected with her navigation and man
agement would make imperative the
taking Of measures to replace her and
incidentally to carry onward the work
~ navy building TO the limit of our
necessities. So that in either event il
now seems assured that the new navy
is safe.