The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-21
ova NAVY rne serrsa.
sh'ps More Modern In Arms ssa Equip

Inc unreserved declaration by Cap
tain Mahan, who IN one of the recog-
nized naval authorities Of the world.
that the navy of the United States IL
far superior to that of Spain, contains
cheerful Information to those who have
reared the contrary. He admits that In
point OF numbers and speed the Span
ish torpedo feet excels our own. but he
thinks that altogether too much i'm
p~ortance has been attached to the tor
combats. THE real nghters." says
Captain Mahan, those who a the
offensive m win great battles.
are the battleships and the cruisers.
Fol saltwater fighting or coast defense.
of course, the torpedo boat Is par ex-
c~ellence, but 1t cannot go to sea with
safety. and attempts to make II q part
Of a cruising fleet usually result in de-
laying the fleet and hampering its use
fulness."
In the line Of battleships and cruisers
the United States is far in the lead OF
Spain. perhaps not so much in num-
bers as in effectiveness. Dur boats are
more modern, being better armed and
equipped and also more speedy. But,
according to Captain Mahan, 1t is not
the superiority of a navy in number of
ships, in number of guns, in speed of
craft, that usually makes it victorious;
1t is the stamp and character of the
seamen who handle the ships, and more
particularly the commanding officer,
whose skill and bravery may enable
him to win against tremendous odds. 1t
is in this respect that the American
navy is so far superior to the Spanish
that a comparison can scarcely be
made between them. In the first place
the Spanish officers have had no such
preliminary training in the science of
wal as is bestowed upon the American
commanders, and. secondly. the crews
display the same breadth of difference
that may be found between the COM
manders. The Spanish certainly pos
sess a species OF courage-the tropical,
hot-headed. impetuous, brawling de-
scription Of courage, but they lack the
cool, calculating, self-sacrificing cour-
age which is characteristic of the deni-
zens of the North. Courage is a prime
requisite in a naval battle. but it can
not stand alone against courage COM
bined with skill and GOODNESS.
Never had a monarch more absolute
sway than the captain of a ship has in
battle. His word is law. He Is sole and
supreme. He holds no councils of war
with his subordinates. His Is the re-
sponsibility and his the privilege. BY
"a nod of his head or a low word to his
helmsman he may take his vessel into
the jaws of certain destruction, or he
may have it turn tail and run like a
coward. He decides the mode and time
of attack, and upon his discretion rests
the fate of the battle. Where one man
might ANONYMOUSLY fail. another will
gloriously triumph, n so we come
back to the assertion of Captain Ma
han that the power of a navy should be
measured as much by the character of
the commanders as by the displacement
of its tonnage.
The Americans have always been ia
nous at sea-. In every war we have
been conquerors in a majority of the
naval battles. During the revolution
we almost swept the of Eng
land from the Atlantic, and the vic
tories OF John Paul Jones in 1111 were
duplicated by Perry and his fellow COM
manders in the war of 1912. The spirit
which sent Lawrence to eternity with
the words Don't give up the ship" up
on his lips, is still fostered i'm the bosom
of the American seaman, and the I'M
daunted courage which sent the Kear-
sarge and the Alabama into a duel unto
death is still a characteristic or the
American commander.
In the course of the article prepared
by Captain Mahan, who evidently knew
the ignorance Of the land lubber'
about matters nautical, is given an in
teresting explanation Of the rank OF
officers aboard ship. TIL commissioner
officers are of two classes-line and
staff. The captains, commanders, lieu
tenants, ensigns and cadets. who attend
to sailing and fighting the ships, belong
to the line, while the chief engineers,
the surgeons, the chaplains, the COM
manders of marines and the paymasters
belong to the staff. At present there
are no ranks of admiral and vice ad-
miral in the American navy. the highest
rank being rear admiral. The first two
- -Ao1xI vEa thnGn of Oan-
eral and lieutenant general in the army,
for men who may win them in active
service. Next below the rear admiral
comes the commodore, who in turn
ranks the captain. Below the captain
comes commander, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
der, lieutenant and ensign. All OF
these have higher rank and pay than
what would seem to be corresponding
positions In the army. Thus a rear ad-
miral ranks with a major general. a
commodore with a brigadier general. a
captain with a colonel, a commander
with a lieutenant colonel, a lieutenant
commander with a major, a lieutenant
with a captain and an ensign with a
lieutenant. On board ship no officer is
known by his title except the rear ad-
miral, the commodore and the captain.
All the rest are addressed py the SIN
gle title Mr."
The captain lives in state alone In his
cabin. While the remainder OF the off,
GERS mess together in the wardroom'
The captain may invite his officers 10
dine with him. but n of them would
not think of dropping into the capin
for a social chat, or other purpose. inns
exclusiveness is carried to the deck,
where there is an imaginary line ex-
tending from the stern of the ship to
the mainmast. To the right OF this line
is the captains territory; to the left the
space allotted to he other omcers'
Across the lines the officers are not sup
posed to step unless business calls them.
or they have been summoned by the
captain. Usually one sees the captain
pacing up and down his reservation all
alone In his glory. and to one OF Car,
tain Mahan's and lubbers this wouia
appear TO be carrying exclusiveness and
rank to a ridiculous extent, but We are
assured that II is necessary to directive
discipline. Anyway, the land luobers