The times., 1898-08-08

New York, Aug. 7.-Hiram S. Maxim,
inventor Of the automatic rapid-fire gun
which bears his name arrived yester-
day from London, with Mrs. Maxim, on
the Etruria. When seen at the Hotel
Manhattan Mr. Maxim talked about the
work recently done by American soldiers
and sailors with all sorts of guns. AL
though he left this country for England
seventeen years ago and has been in bus
mess there ever since, he referred
throughout the interview TO the Amer
ican army and navy as ''our army and
-'our navy"
Just before hostilities actually began"
said Mr. Maxim, Il was in Paris, and
/ was laughed at and pitied because of
my assurance that America would win.
Everyone in France was dead sure that
the spaniards would get the better Of
us They attempted TO show me that
the Spanish fleets were much more ef-
fective than our own and that we had
but one cruiser-the New Noteworthy
Of the name They said that the Amer
leans had had no experience, and they
declared, not as a joke, but seriously
that the Spaniards would lombard New
York and Boston within a month.
Il told them that there was an impor-
tant factor that they had let out of their
equation altogether, and that was the
Anglo-Saxon blood Of the Americans.
which made victory for them a fore
gone conclusion.
le
papers have published articles TO the ef-
feet that there is something in the char
acter of the AngIo-Saxon which fits him
especially for sea fighting. Neptune, they
say now, is always with the Anglo-Sax-
on, whether he flies the Union Jack or
the Stars and Stripes.
In England a. the beginning of the
war, the general opinion seemed TO be
than the Spaniards would cause great
deal of trouble and would be able to stay
in the fight about a year. They modified
that opinion when the first big news
came from Dewey.
'fOn the night that the details of the
victory al Manila were learned in Lon
don. I was invited to the United
Service Club, and there | found the
English naval officers as enthusiastic and
as wei satisfied as if they had been
Americans. They declared that Dewey
had recalled the glorious days of Mel
son.
At the beginning of the war a great
many newspapers in England and on the
Continent declared that the United States
had nothing 10 fight about. Tiaey said
that the blowing UP of the Maine had
been accidental. When / saw the report
of the court OF inquiry however / was
convinced that the explosion had come
from the outside. j wro-e number OF
articles 10 thar effect, and had them pub
hshed in London and Paris newspapers
over the signatures An Old Engineer
and An Expert on Explosives Those
articles were copied by newspapers
throughout Europe and received many
editorial comments. / think that they
had something to do with turning the
tide Of European and British sympathy
III our favor"
Relative TO several newspaper reports
in this country al the beginning of the
war tlat he sold guns TO Spain, Mr.
Maxim said:
Those reports We're absurd. and they
were lnstigated by a personal enemy of
mine in this country. As a matter of
TACT, Spain could get nothing from me
because the United States Government
was too quick
AS soon as there was no doubt that
war would come, the United States Gov
ernment communicated with our compa-
ny by cable and in a very short time af-
ter that we had delivered 81 O00. 600 worth
OF guns and ammunition. The Americans
got absolutely everything that there was
Tor sale. and, when the Spanish buyers
came, there was nothing for them. 1t
has been also said that the bulk of nv
business is with Spain. The figures don't
show it. Spain takes about $500 900 worth
year We have orders now from the
British government that will cost $50 OOO.-
OO0 to fill
The principal lesson of war has been
that the skill of the men behind the gun
Is the main thing. There will be no more
facS-nothing Of the Nesuvius or ram
type The effective navies must have bat
tleships, armed with high-power guns
that have fiat trajectory. and manned
by sailors who can shoot straight The
men must be trained and trained through
times OF peace by actual practice with
the big guns, for everything depends up-
on them.
The English naval officers have been
astonished by the accuracy of the Ameri-
can craftsmanship. They are asking
themselves If their own men could
have done as well, and they nave
already turned their attention 70 the
shooting
Another lesson of the war has heen
that tine torpedo Boat is not effective. and
that torpedoes should not de carried on
baTtlesIhips
The SPaniards have shown themselves
TO better advantage in the land fighting
because they had better rifles and used
nothing but the emol1eless powder. If the
Spaniards had been as good men as the
American soldiers. it would have required
force Of 5000 troops 10 take Santiago.
As II was, the Spaniarjs showed personal
courage. but II d1dn't count because of
lack Of discipline
"T7he official classes in England take a
deep interest in Elhe results of the war.
They think over there that 1t would rbe a
great shame for Us to give up a single
square foot OF land that we have taken.
And they say that the United States
should keep the Philippines at any cost.
Fracucally all the English people want
10 nave some understanding bv which
thelr country and the United States will
keep up powerful navy for the COM
mon good of both countries. MANY n,
them think that it would be unfair for
US TO have the benefit of free ports with
out contributing something toward the
cost OF keeping them free and omen. They
contend that many of the trading morris
now open TO the United States would be
closed against us by France and Germany
If 1t were not for the British navy.
No one in England really believes that
the German emperor meant anything Sc.
rious by his show of hostility at Manila.
He was just trying il on as the saying
goes 10 see whether or not the United
States would weaken, and IL ii would be
safeto try TO share the spoils that he had
not won If Germany should make nava.
demonstration az Manila, England would