The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-17

Washington, July 16.-When the war
with Spain threatened. and before the
actual beginning of hostilities, the sec
rotary of the navy was able to learn
from his subordinates in a few min
utes' notice just what the strength of
the Spanish navy was, the character of
the vessels. the style of their armament
in fact, every particle of information
necessary to a comparison of the navies
Of the two countries. and a forecast of
the probable result of an encounter
between them. He found out the char
acter and extent of the permanent de-
ferses of Cuba and Porto Rico and the
Philippines. In fact, he was able to as
semble facts. the knowledge of which
enabled him to take in the whole situa-
ton at a glance.
The information about the Spanish
navy or. which Secretary Long was
able to call. and which he is now using
every day, is locked w, with 3aets
about ali the navies of the world, in the
secret archives of the department kept
by the office of naval Intelligence.
This Office is an attachment of the sec
retary's office. 1t has existed for SIX
teen years, and in all that time u1til
this year it has never had an official
status. The clerks employed in 1t
hitherto have been assigned from other
bureaus.
COLLECTING FOR YEARS.
The office was established in Secre-
tary Chambers time. Its business was
TO collect all the information obtain
able concerning foreign navies, with a
view to utilizing it in the building OF
the new American navy which was be-
ing planned. Uncle Sam has been a
pioneer in invention, but seldom in ex-
perment IL naval matters. He has
chosen to go slowly and surely forward,
waiting until the costly experiments OF
other nations had developed the value
of a device before adopting it.
In pursuance of this policy, naval at
taches were sent to most of the for
eign courts. with instructions to send
in information about foreign navies.
At the time the war with Spain began,
there were naval representatives at
Paris. Vienna, London, Rome. St. Pet
eIsburg ard Madrid Most of these
have since been recalled for active SER
vice.
These naval attaches sent to the de-
partment printed reports. as we'll as
written observations of naval opera
tons and experiments. The written re-
ports were always secret, and thsy can
not he seen today without an order
from Secretary Long. They cannot be
seen at all except by some officer of the
department having the secretary's au-
thor.tE.
FROM MANY SOURCES.
Another source of information was
the intelligence officer aboard SHIPS.
Every captain Of an American vessel
on foreign station designated one of his
Junior officers to make observations
and report 20 the department, and the
-r-I-- = rvfr- IN lin
the benefit of any Information they
might pick up. Even the petty officer
and the sailor contributed 10 the re-
ports what thew saw or heard OF the
methods OF foreign navies. No subject
was too small for observation, from
gasket to a 16-inch gun. In addition to
this special information, all sorts OF
published information was acquired
clippings from newspapers, articles
from magazines. photographs OF Tor
eign ships and pictures of foreign guns
ard Notifications. The intelligence bu-
reau contains the only complete set of
pictures os the Spanish navy in the
United States.
WARSHIP BIOGRAPHERS.
This accumulation of written and
pictured facts fills six large rooms. II
is arranged in cases against the walls
indsXed Captain John r. Bartlett, OF
the navy who is in charge of it. ex-
planned the arrangement to the CORE
spondent the other day. He pulled out
O file case. which was one OF group
marked ships" This one was labelled
English ships" The classification or
these was marked by red cards, stand
ing upright in the case, and each indl-
vidual shin was named on a blue card,
y; InII ~.a1a ct rg IN a
number of white cards. On each white
card was a reference to the files of the
bureau In the case which Captain
Bartlett chose for Illustration, imme-
iiately behind the blue card was a card
telling of the launching of the ship; the
next card referred to a complete de-
scription of this particular ship; the
next. to a test of her guns; the next, /
TO an inquiry in parliament concerning
her armament: then came a card re- /
ferring to a report of an accident to |
her And so the record went, until 1t |
every incident in the /
history of that particular ship-a de- I
tailed biography, as complete as could [
be obtained in the case of a well known I
public man.
The report on this ship is not excep- I
-ional Every British ship has like I
record in the intelligence bureau So /
ldS every Spd!llSH SNIP -HG Aie-N &c !
oartment has felt no anxiety at any /
lime about Camara's feet. because it |
knew all along how incapable were its /
ships.
INFORMATION ON TAP.
When the secretary of the navy /
wants facts about the Spanish navy, |
he notifies his intelligence officer and .
n three minutes the indeX-cards
marked Spain" are on his desk. on |
hese cards he finds a reference to
very Spanish subject in the library
II in the secret archives in the de-
,artment. II he wants TO know any
hing about armored cruisers. he can
lend for the cards on CRUISERS" and
lie viii find the whole subject complete
V covered by reference. OF course, so /
,nf,cfa of tho .scr.1riSar-,t r.afaranco q.