The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-26
Capt. Howard, Of the English
Navy, on His Way to Cuba.
Ne HOPES AMERICA WILL WIN.
ysteeao OMeer In Qseen ytctorta's
sesviee Gives sis views of Modern
Doeegeshaps-lDbserSat of the
opanash-AnerScan Naval Cosniess
vv1la Ne Of Great yaIse-Ne Doubt
A 90 the Result Of the Contest

70 study the modern battieship In &C.
fioo = the purpose Of Capt A. Howard.
~ n, who arrived In Seattle Sunday
night from Australia ard who Is now on
hi w1y 20 Cuba. Capt. Howard has been
n the Engsish navy for the past twenty
ono years. lie has served Ia numerous
engaesnsnts In which her majesty's navy
has aided the royal troops. and for the
past nve years has heen attached TO tie
Australian squadron "a commander OF
H II q Espagie.
Although la many respects . typical
Ensaish naval officer. Capt. Howard 10
without the traditional resIcence Of n
Brit;sher To Posf-Inseligencer re-
pertsr at thu Rainier Grand yesterday he
spoke freely of his purposes and discussed
the Hispan0- American quarrel with a de-
ligbtfuf and engaging franknese. At tie
eutDeart he declared himself entirely and
oompletely In sympathy with America.
sAytng 81 the same tiEas that his own sen
4iments were those OF the people OF Aus
traIia and the officers ana men Of the
Australian squadron OF her ma3esty's
navy.
Australians IN Our side.
Capt. Howard said that the people Of
Australia believed that an alliance OF the
English and American nations had al
ready taken place. So enthusiastic are
the Australians In their sympathy with
the stand taken by the American govern
ment that hundreds stand willing To vol
untecr their services In the war with
6pein IL they are neasied. On the steamer
Werrlmoo. on which Capt. Howard tray-
esed from Australia. there were nearly a
hundred Australian miners bound for the
kIondike. Among them the one topic Of
conversation WAS ihc Spanish American
imbrogiso- These rough miners. like their
ceinpatriufs st home. believe that Amer
icsl's cause Is that Of Righteousness and
humanity and they stand ready and will
Ing TO offer up tnsir lives to aid this ma
ton In tho war against the Spanish.
Il hopc 10 be able 10 see some Of the
fighting between the American aud Span
ish battleships.' said Capt. Howard.
Naval construction. Ia modern days. has
made such wonderful progress and has
initiated 30 many, many changes in the
fighting machines OF the sea that naval
officers In every nation are almos, totally
iEnorant Of the capabilities Of their ships
OF war. Invention has worked aimost VA
ceasing changes In the construction and
equipment Of modern battleships and
cruissrA A war between two nations
each supplied with the latest pattern of
vessels of war. viii be- of the highest
value. AZ an object lessen, TO the of1lcers
Of neutral nations.
In naval construction there ara new
things In equipment for defsns. or ag-
greseiOn in the complicated machinery of
the hattieship a.most every month Naval
warfare OF this day and generation IL 50
vastly removed and 50 widely different
from that with which history has dealt
hat al f,.g
of the present age know but little after
ALL OF what they can accomplish with
their lighting ships.
For eSsmple. the naval commander OF
To-day must be an expert on hydraulics
and unst have nors than A practical
knowledge of electrisi;y. Why, Because
both hydraulics and electricity play A
most important part In the handling OF
the modern battleship.
s-ann nsltp of Toaay.
THE wonderful change that ha. been
wrought In the naeies OF the world by in
ventioa during the past thirty years has
effec,naily placed in the background those
qualities of sealnanship which wers the
glory Of the naval heroes of the past.
There II almost no such a thing as sea-
nlanshio In q naval engagement today.
IL the DAYS of the sailing warsh!ps the
commander whose seamanship was of n
higher order than that OF his opponent
usually won. Then II was a matter OF
handling his vessel quickly ana OF ma
neuserng TO obtain an advantage
over his adversary. Nowadays II your
enemy has ship propelled hy equally
powsrsss., engines as Scur own. with pro-
rel.sss of equal size. II ~ simply a matter
of revolutions a qnc&ston Of mathematics
ard ros Of esamsn's skill IN bringing a
ha;tieshlr Into action. striking blow and
then getting into position for another
breadsde.
War VIII Be n short one.
THE war will not last more shan six
months" said Capt. Howard. responding
10 an Inquiry. 1T will be very one-sidea.