The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-22


A few weeks ago the Engineer, an Eng
Ilsh technical journal. published an ex-
haustive article going to show the splen-
did fighting capabilities Of the Spanish
squadron under Admiral Cervera. With
their superior speed and far superior bat
teries of quick firing guns, the Engineer
was able to demonstrate that the Span
iards were about as good as anything the
United States could send against them,
ship for ship, if indeed they were not
little better. Their quick fire batteries
were depended upon to make the gun po-
sitions of the Americans untenable. while
their heavier guns, 1t was believed, would
certainly infict serious damage upon the
enemy with which they might engage.
Almost before the Engineers article had
reached this country, the Spanish SHIPS
were strewn along the Cuban coast, bat
tered and blackened wrecks, while the
American enemy which they had enco1n-
tered was practically unscathed.
If the Spanish ships were such splendid
fighting machines, and it seems beyond
| question that they were among the finest
of their class in the world, why did they
not do more damage? Ships and guns
cannot serve themselves, no matter what
the excellence of their qualities. The per-
sonaI equation counts for as much now
in war as it ever did, if not indeed for
great deal more. The personnel Of the
American crews, especially in the matter
of the men behind the guns, was far supe-
rior to that Of the Spaniards, and hence
the swift and sweeping American victory.
Modern war ships and modern arma-
ments are delicate machines, notwith-
standing their ponderous proportions and
enormous strength. 1t takes intelligence
Of a high order to handle these machines
so as to secure from them the highest eff
| ficiency Of which they are capable. There
is all the difference in the world in plae-
ing a charge in gun and decorating it
merely as a mechanical process, and load
ing and firing a gun in such manner as
to achieve the results for which the gun
| and its charge were intended. In the
! American navy there is employed a system
| of training and of rewards which is cal
culated to develop the best gunuers and
gun crews. Prizes for craftsmanship are
offered, and the competition to secure
them is keen. Target practice is frequent,
hence the gunners and crews are kept in
good form and the commanders have al
ways at hand men whom they can depend
upon to shoot straight. In some instances
whole gun crews are expert marksmen,
therefore the loss Of the gun captain in
action would not cripple the efficiency OF
| the gun.
The scheme of encouraging and develop
ing good marksmen is one of the best
features of the navy's tactics, and 1t de-
serves to be fostered and advanced in
every manner possible. For, when the
matter of lighting war ships is reduced to
its prime factors, upon which depends sue
cess or failure. it viii be found that they
are the men at the guns. A ship and her
guns may be ever so fine, and the officers
who tread the quarterback may be ever
so skilled and competent but if the men
at the guns are not what they ought 10 be,
the ship. the guns and the officers cannot
win victories A pointed illustration was
| given at Manila on May and off Santiago
on July g. The Americans had the rlshI
sort of men at the guns; the Spaniarde
had not. All honor to the American gun
ners at Manila and Santiago! And may
their tribe never decrease in numbers, in
telligence, bravery, skill and endurance