The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-06-02
FRENCH AND ENGLISH NAV!ES.
France . Weakness Shown Up by One of
Her Acknowledgement England with
Priva.eers.
(From the London Times.)

(From the London Times.)
Rear Admiral Dupont, writing today in
the Gaulois on French and English
navies, says: IL,
"The speech of Mr.. Chamberlain, the
campaign waged against us in the, Eng
lish press, the attacks of the British Min
lister on Russia, the general i'll humor of
the English merchants, menaceds every
where in their interests, constitute dis
quieting symptoms which it would be
puerile to ignore. The question naturally
arises therefore in everybody's mind, is
the French navy ready for an eventual
struggle with the English navy? AS re-
CARDS the number of ships now available,
as regards facility of concentration of
forces, the judicions choice and the pre-
paredness of naval bases, our inferiority
is notorious. Since the application of
the Naval Defence act our neighbors have
doubled their resources by constructing
with feverish haste. They have been
able to launch within single year as
many as five battleships of from $4,000
to $1,000 tons, eight large cruisers, and
uVCiiVy -UWo olAIllOI SC5o6lst 81 UuctU Illo
disproportion, aleady great, which existed
| between the two navies has been enor-
| mously increased. England can now put
into line thirty-four battleships OF from
| 1900 to $1,000 tons, ffty-two large cruis-
ers, and very large number OF smaller
vessels, among which should be noted a
| numerous dotilla of very rapid torpedo
| boat destroyers. Besides these vessels,
twenty older battleships for the most
part remodelled, may be reckoned as q
solid reserve to this already formidable
| force.
"What have we to set against this
array9 Sixteen new battleships eight
gond coast defence vessels, about ten old
battleships Of mediocre value, and twenty
| three modern cruisers. Reckoning on
| both sides the vessels that are of no use
for service, and taking into account
| breakdowns and accidents, we may say,
on the whole, that the strength 9of our
| navy is between a third and al halt OF
that of the English navy, The quality OF
| the similar vessels in both navies is about
the same The English vessels have in
general a look of greater strength they
can go greater distances, and their ton
mage is greater, which enables them to
| be better armed and equipped. Their
guns are we'll placed, but less powerful at
an equal calibre. The speed is usually
| inferior to ours and can be less easily kent
| up, in spite of the nominal figures to DC
| found in the.numerous lists published in
| both countries.
.'In word. the value of similar types
| is approximately the same, but we remain
| in presence of crushing numerical supe.
riority. And our inferiority is increased
| by the inadequate preparation of stations
outside..Europe While England is strong:
| " posted at the outlets of all the great
maritime lines of the globe, we are re-.
duced to utilizing a few indifferently
placed positions.
1--WE shall patiently bide our time, and
| it will certainly come. Meanwhile we
shall organize an implacable system of
privateering Eagainst 1.-The trade of ou1
eventual enemy. l know not what diplo-
matists think of the convention of 1856.
but as for us sailors, let the English be
assured beforehand that we shall carry
on privateering against them, and Iii
them take the ruin of their maritime
trade into their forecasts"