The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-16
SAILORS OF TWO POWERS.
STATUS OF SPANISH AND AMERICAN
MEN-oF-WAR's MEN.

line Comprehensive Young United
States Naval omcer.
From the Daily News of London.
Assuming Americas intention to land a
military force in Cuba. and Spaln's deter
mination TO Illustrate such an attempt at
all hazards, a collision between fleets of
the two Powers would be inevitable for
the simple reason that the troops could
cross in safety between Key West and
Cuba without a formidable escort of war
ships, and Spains only chance then Of
striking an effective blow would be by
means of her navy. This proposition is
so elementary that 1t need not be eabo-
rated by argument AS there is no great
disparity of strength between the two
navies, seamanship combined with the
characteristics that make for success must
be counted as most important factors.
OF the Spanish fleet little has been heard
since the early years of the century.
ers on which the fate of nations hinged
Al that time however, may things COM
bined to take the spirit out of Spanish
sailors. We know they could not have
lacked courage Lord Cochrane, after
wards Earl of Dundonald, bore witness
to that in his praise of the Catalonians,
who did heroic deeds on shore only a
year or two after he had beaten them,
or men of the same race, with ridiculous
ease at sea. Their weakness as sailors
then lay in the fact that the warships in
which they served never went to sea if
an excuse could be found for keeping
them in harbor, and were consequently
so badly handled that they lay like logs
at the mercy of ship that could sail
round them i'm fight, as the little Speedy
did so often. There is nothing to show
than in point for seamanship for great
fleet actions the Spanish admrals and
captains have improved very much since
those days. Their training has been too
much at home and in steam tactics, by
which all effective battle combinations
must be regulated, they get comparatively
little practice.
AS to the efficiency and discipline of their
crews, no doubts are expressed by English
naval officers who have visited Spanish
ports in recent years or had opportunities
of seeing Spanish ships handled on foreign
stations. 1t is generally agreed in fact,
that these crews show a great deal of sail
orly smartness at nearly every exercise an
which seamen should be proficient. Their
gunnery drill is excellent, their shooting
good, and they have the best of weapons to
work with. For boat services especially
they display a conspicuous aptitude, as Is
natural with men who have been bred on
the squall-beaten shores Of the Basque
provinces, or among the fishermen of Cat
aionia and Valencia.
Nearly all Spanish sailors,o at any rate,
3, 81 nat n
brian villages or ports on the eastern coast
descendants in either case of hardy sea-
faring race, and accustomed, many of them
from boyhood, to venture in small craft,
where they may be overtakep by an Allan
tic hurricane or a Mediterranean white
squall. They have all the qualities that
should prove valuable for service on board
torpedo boats; and a naval officer of much
experience in such matters who has Just
returned from visit to Vigo, Ferrol, and
Bilbao, holds a high opinion of the way
in which "all torpedo craft are handled by
Spanish seamen." Their officers have been
diligent students of French methods in this
sort Of work, and they get enough prac-
tice in rough water 10 keep their nerves
well strung. "They will not" according to
the English authority just quoted prove
deficient in dash or enterprise, and any
hostile fleet would probably find the twenty
Spanish torpedo boats and destroyers a
veritable swarm of hornets if they ever got
a chance"
1t is known also that naval representa-
lives of the United States have consider
able respect for the Spanish torpedo boat
and it's officers. King Alfonsos navy is
thing of very recent creation, but the
means of training it TO a tolerable state OF
efficiency seem 10 have been hit upon not
withstanding the traditional reluctance OF
Spaniards to accept sea service. This,
however is compulsory now on all natives
of the maritime provinces, or rather the
chance Of IL has to be taken by them In the
ordinary course of Consumption to which
all able-bodied men are liable when they
reach the age ofNe0. In fifty ports along
the Atlantic coasts from Pontevedra TO
the frontiers of France and In sixty sea-
ports on the Mediterranean shores there Is
no difficulty In raising enough etalwart
youths TO man the navy, which number on
the active list about "A, coo seamen and ma
rnes, with a similar number In reserve
Many are lusty mountaineers, and nearly
| all are accustomed to the smell Of salt wa
ter If Span's navy has weakness 1t Is
neither in men nor material, but in organ
Ization. The English officer already re-
ferred to, notwithstanding his belief in the
courage and enterprise of those In execu-
tive command, has his doubts whether adj
ministrative officials will be prepared for
the responsibility of resolute action. The
fleet, he thinks, may be kept hanging
about the Cape Verde Islands until the
opportunity for using Ii most effectively
has been allowed to slip by
| MThe United States cannot command near
ly as many trained seamen as the power
against which they may soon be pitted.
Nothing like assumption applies to them.
Their service is purely voluntary, and con-
sequently there is often difficulty In
keeping crews up 10 their full compile
ment in spite of high pay and the abb
sence of any hard-and-fast restrictions on
enlistment Physical fitness up TO nigh
standard Is insisted upon, but all other
qualifications seem to be taken for grant
ed Even nationality is not too curio1sy
inquired into, but if any after joining
were inclined TO shiPk the duty they owe
to the Stars and Stripes, discipline IN the
strlctest sense would soon knock all ro-
nance out of them.
ON nearly every American warship there
is a mixed crew of many nationalities,
Germans. Danes Swedes, Norwegians
Dutchmen live together there, and wage
their polyglot differences in common
nautical slang. They may not always
understand each other but thew must