The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-04-23
PERSONNEL OF U. S. navy.
II is Higher than that Of Any Other ia
the World.


In a war with Spain, which seems
highly probable-a war that may
challenge our honor and valor at
any moment now-the fighting
ships OF the navies will be about
equal in number and in power or
Armament; but when we compare
the personnel of the two services,
we cannot but think that Spain
will suffer exceedingly thereby
The difference in the types oil
ships and the changed conditions OF
motive power and guns, have
changed the character of the enlist
I'd men in our service. Their
habits are better, and the skill de
manded of them is of a more me-
chanical order; and while We miss
some OF the characteristics which
made the old man-of-war's-man so
attractive and interesting, so unique
and so superb as Il sailor, the new
man is imbued with the same loyal
devotion to the flag that possessed
the souls OF our seamen in the
colonial and revolutionary days, the
war Of 1912, and at the outburst OF
the civil war in 1861, aud may be
depended upon to do equally gal
liant service under whatever stress OF
circumstances.
J As to the officers, no service in
the world can match them. In
every branch and corps they are
superior in education and in train
ling to the officers of any other ser
vice-men so well grounded and
Ipracticed, schooled and equipped,
THAT their services are sought In
'Imany directions. Mary officers,
Indeed, have resigned their com
missions for the higher pay and
greater civil advantages eagerly
Rendered them by individuals and
firms, colleges and corporations than
the government gives or affords.
But many remain in the service ;
land we have officers to-day, gradu-
ates from our naval academy at An
napolis, and from civil colleges in
1.-THE land, who can take the mineral
.Ifrom the mine, and put it through
, all the processes of preparation and
manufacture, until it appears in
Icompleted form in the hulls and
rlergines, boilers and dynamos, guns
and armor, shells and torpedoes OF
our ships-of-war. Expert as cleo
,tricians, they invent or approve
/, electrical appliances; as chemists,
they manufacture the needed ex-
plosives for naval use; ss inventors,
eIthe guns and CUR carriages OF oul
navy since the days of Dahlgren,
lIhave been designed b. them in
: every part and built under theiI
supervision. The guns turned out
d at the naval gun factory at Wash
l|ington are not excelled by Krupp oil
, any other iabricator of heavy ord
nance in Europe; as linguists and
mathematicians, naturalists and
adopts in therapeutics and surgery
sanitation and hygiene, they have
won worldwide fame; as hydro
I graphsrs, they have no superiors
whether in surveying the coasts anc
Iharbors of the globe or in sounding
4 the depths Of the sea. Equally Al
-Ihome in the handling Of infantry
and artillery on shore, they lead
sIthe world as versatile and accom-
$ plished officers on ship-board. MOI
are there any harder worked menir
a the country to day than its nava
Officers; and whether in peace oil
war, they can always be depended
upon to do their duty Loyalty and
i Idevotedly, in every emergency OF
demand or Of peril in their profes
r sion which they maycall upon then
to meet.
n Such are the men Spain has e
. meet on the sea, If she enters upor
hostilities with this country. w,
need have no fear Of the outcome
Yet it is never wise to underrate al
enemy. The English did that il
1S12 to their s)re cost. Let US no
n make such mistake and all will b
. we'll.
! REAR ADMIRAL GEORGE 4