The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-21

y
from the practical expert
snces OF tie war with Span.
In the first place We can bat repeat.
what has been expressed in all the lead
sng journals Ct the country. the sszrprfse
sna qualification Of oas people At the
ma snaaeens performances OF ali the YES
aeas ss our navy. We ssail refer later 30
the esnsnenisy satisfactory work o. the
psrsounei, both officers and men.
Fistssn or sixteen years ago. after long
and perssxssns effort. = comparatively
sraH appropriation was obtained from
navy. We then possessed some thirty
wooden vessels. cut Of eoartssy eenonnl-
mated msn~of-nar. and q half dozen mont
tors TIE armament Of these vessels was
thA oiMolste nIrs and xIeven-snci SMOOTH
bare shsli guns. and . few e!gaf-inch con-
verified Misunderstanding rifles. The three
tach Hotchkiss rifle, mounted on q field
carriage for Use 10 shore operations. Was
the only bssech-ioadang ride cur navy
possexsed.
The practical education Of oar officers
was obtained on these vessels and with
these guns. European countries already
poesessea LARGE Ge.ts Of iroaciads armed
with modern guns In foreign ports cur
ole wooden vessels swung side By SIDE
with the fro~niax and powerful cruisers
ard hatsleshsps Of Europe, and the con-
ssass humiliation Of our officers ard men
al the contras, cannot even be imagined
For twenty years the navy had had few
friends. Its unparalleled history during
the civil war. ard It's influence In bring
ing II to n successful conclusion. WAS I'M
recognized by both congress and the peo-
- IA
the navy, and the promotion uf it's offi-
GERS had practically ceased The man VINO
W. No. / on the !ieuteRants' lis: Ia 1872
wal ssiii At the head OF the list In 1888.
~ In Jefferson's tiTns. fefcTs the war OF
ISL. both legislators Asld voters were sat
isiied tina, no foreign foe would ever land
On cur shores. and We had no merchant
marine or citizens abroad 10 require pro-
lection, Europe. however. had recognized
the lessons Of our civsi war. aud at once
began the constructions OF ironc!ads. mcn!-
tors, torpedo boats and toTps1oes
In iSAa congress authorized the construc-
ton OF four sfeei vcssels--the cruisers
Chicago. Atlanta and Boston and the gun
boat Yorktown. Tie growth Of our steel
navy has been gradual and II IN only re-
Gently tina. our citizens have taken any
pride II. ous service and manifested any
desire for a navy even sufficiently power
fiii for coast iefenee. In fact the Argyll
tnent of coast defense has been the only
ono used 10 secure ,ise fews battleshIps We
now have in commission.
The development OF European navies
has witnessed many costly failures in both
ships and guns. Many OF their battle
ehipa are now obsolete. and the arma-
nents Of few years ago have had to be
replaced. Oar constructors and gfin ex-
Ierts have had the benefit In a degree OF
the foreign costly experiments. principally
Through tha excellent work OF our Office
OF naval intelligence. which made every
officer abroad q gatherer OF useful data
regarding ships, aTnor. guns, torpedoes
and naval establishments.
Fifteen years ago We had no steel or
arnlor plants no steel ship building yards
ard no gun foundries The wise action Of
our naval secretaries. beginning with
Messrs. Chandler and whitney developed
The great steel arnnor producing plants AT
Beth.ebem and pittsonrg. and the ship
building yards at SAN Francisco. philasel-
phia and Newpor; News together with
many smaller establishments. a, the same
time. the magnificent gun plant at the
Washington Gayy yard was gradually con-
sfructaa
The Inventive genius OF the American
people. supplemented by the wonderful at
ta,amenss us our naval officers especially
wonderful when their dixeoutaz p,l9ersts ard
-
the very first have produced; s'e osst guns
and finest ships az their class In the world
What Is particularly striking Is The fact
tAat thcFn has FeVe 81 aeen 8 single. failure
Of either guns or slllpa Even thn mach
derIdsf Texas has proven herself grea:
snasess The chaEtsse In the tone OF lhe
pnhsac press is extremely srattfyinx 20
naval officers, For faany years lhe navy
wEa the bur, ~ Tho wittieisuss ~ the
new assapar parasrsphcrs ard no accident
ceuid happen so psE-es-wa without
s'as1@sir editorial comments srom the Attain
Tie "a the Pacific
The practical lessons OK the war. as FAR
rs the navy IS concerned, are as follows
itgs;-T'aas eur asva. officers are as pro
Es5e-st sn taetF tsf0fsF sisstsat atfa4anaaistS
end In cool deliberate salf-cnugrll ;y,,,,..r
fire as afy rs the world
sse9ss,nd fhst the naval academy a, Ar.
HaIo3fs Tor the eti3s-Atfna and tf4futms ~
our Young Officers Is Il grgat ss,e,x',.r.. -
government
rhse.,-.Fh&s oar naval apprentice. seete,s,
.er fsa'Fi'il cur sailors sas Aeepn eminent
~ sneeessssii IL gro.igicimss fs.. x;,f.s,Y,tsi
crews ~ oar ,f2sIssof~ war, ana IL stsatiR3 lee
nbFfatly s3ecuGa sssi
FeuFth-raa; ~ sless ps our tarrsss,rssI
expansion oar navy should be largely ia.
creased
.tSfsh~. that this increase should cosss,t
81 fast lssttleShipS srmaosess cFtaxey-s. .,,,,s.
Hers ata 'es'f@sio hg2t@ 81 the s..,flsfrsa.s-
sion q whsa na Moot ~hssaiY be ,sse,f ~
s@pt e has seela slre- psoefesi, snd na tor
trsioes sF it'a$ saseg* u any ktsd should Sc
above slse protected 6rek
SsSta~iass the afsTsattaas far tar
get prac<I@c a. sea sn sas s4ss faz ve4~-
were Wisely eKIssasisd r. pEet;ssgs31s the ox-
eetifn; 10nNaFs ou 1StT szsls~s as.i they
*sststli1 ats sNTEtAf sgaagsszess
sewers B. sat cur naval cfs4cs~~ sssssfiF
sss fatTsY sfva{fA "a t$ss fsstsfe s}v .y.s-~,s 81
taS f'.s' sNsss YSss ard sAssQass5tys as ia ~.
uFTss*
k'g That 40 marine c0rps xsnu}f r..
F"sAf1sss r. sA~ fsxy ARA Increased 4,e.sss.sf
ffa1S;vlF VISA she rv8as t0tseg ~ taa RAY.
u VSannei.
>sss a- g'9st "a t.ess.NArsssnr~s - ssosa
sAtftsss asssgs- sSpse'gAt&S etrsasa .zrAS IA :
. aSis % Rgss'sls+fsi tfaF eVeefs< IA csssexszsz
iSa&}sa parties u@ sB aSsszsif
FHmshFgsaf sssNgsss Ftgss grsaAS ara fae.
FssoTs sFa ~ sesst s81ssa ~ aax{3ssgz- ts,.-
fsf's~s e hsy eefs. especially ia gaFse
tsrstss eFse-t
Slsss e'ssas fass Nsss'A efas~ fseysfs- 5. 3
veeses~s.8 EF aata eTeasf a4As sta, ze,sgs
asns~
Tws,s. 'rAss fAe raval militia es ss..s
SsF*~F7& sS4fss s9as2frF 1as -r--ssss-ss-f sesf
caf3eH
Falsses-s' 3 That sae aex5l4n~v na<s