New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-22
NIVIES OF TWO POWERS
SPANS SHIPS HUG THE SHORE AND HER
CREWS LACK SEA TRAINING.
MANY NATIoNALITIEs REPRESENTED ~ THE
AMERICAN sERvICE-rHE OFFICERS CAPABLE
LEAyERs-vNITED STATES CRAFT SHIP
SHAPE FROM STEM TO STERN.
From The London News.

From The London News.
AS there is no great disparity Of strength be-
tween the two navies. seamanshp. combined
with the characteristics that make FOR success,
must he counted most important factors. or
the Spanish fleet little has been heard since the
early years of the century when IT cut poor
figure in some encounters on which the fate or
nations hinged At that time. however. many
things combined to take the spirit oGt Of span
sh sailors We know they could not have lacked
courage. Lord Cochrane afterward Earl Of
DundOnald bore witness 10 that in his praise
Of the CatalOnians. who did heroic deeds on
shore only year or two af;er he nad beaten
them. or men Of the same race. with ridiculous
sea. Their weakness as sailors then lay
that the warships which they
served never went TO sea If an excuse could ~
found FOR keeping them in the harbo' and were
consequently so badly handled that they lay
lake logs at the mercy OF ship that could sail
round them in fight. as the little Speedy did
so often. There is nothing 10 show that In point
OF seamanshp for great fleet actions the Span
sh admirals and captains have improved very
much since those days. Their training has been
too much at home. and in steam tactics. ny
which all effective battle comb nations must he
rcgua ted. they get comparatively little practice
AS 10 the efficiency and discipline OF their
crews, no doubts are expressed by English naval
officers who have visited Spanish ports in recent
years or had opportunities of seeing Spanish
ships handled on foreign stations. IL is generally
agreed. in fact. that these crews show great
deal Of sailory smartness at nearly every ex-
erCise in which seamen should he proficient
Their gunnery drill is excellent, their shooting
good and they have the best Of weapons 10
work with For boat services especially they
display conspicuous aptitude. as Is natural
with men who have been bred on the squall-
beaten shores OF the Basque Provinces. or
among the Aldermen Of Catalonia and Valencia
SEAMEN SECURED BY CONSUMPTION.
Nearly all Spanish sailors or. at any rate
the majority Of them, are natives Of Canta-
brian villages or ports on the eastern coast.
descendants in either case OF a hardy seafaring
race. and accustomed many Of them from boy
hood to venture in small craft. where they may
be overtakcn by an Atlantic hurricane or
Mediterranean white squall They have all the
qualities that should prove valuable for service
on board torpedo-boats; and naval ofhcer OF
much experience in such matters who has JUST
returned from Il visit to Nigo. Ferrol and Bill
bao, holds high opinion of the way In which
''all torpedo craft are handled by Spanish sea-
men" Their officers have been diligent stu
dents Of French methods in this sort or work,
and they get enough practice In rough water 10
keep their nerves well strung. They "yill not
according To the English authority just quoted.
prove deficient in dash or enterprise and any
hostile feet would probably find the twenty
Spanish torpedo-boats and destroyers Neri-
table swarm OF hornets IL they ever got n
chance" II is known also that naval repre-
sentatives of the United States have consider
able respect for the Spanish torpedo-boat and
its officers.
King Alfonso's navy IL a thing Of very recent
creation. but the means OF training il to toler-
able state of efficiency seem TO have been MT
upon Notwithstanding the traditional rciuc-
tance Of Spanards TO accept sea service. This.
however. is compulsory now on all natives or
the maritime provinces. or rather the chance OF
II has 10 be taken by them in the ordinary
course Of CONSUMPTION TO which all able-poded
men are liable when they reach the age or
twenty. In fifty ports along the Atlantic coasts
from Pontevedra to the frontiers OF France ana
in sixty seaports the Mediterranean shores
there is no difficulty in raising enough stalwart
youths to man the navy, which numbers on the
active list about twenty-four thousand seamen
and marines. with similar number In reserve.
Nan Inst aolip a
are accustomed to the smell of salt water III
Spain's navy has weakness 1t ~ neither IN
men nor material. but in organization. Inc
English officer already referred to. notwith-
standing his belief in the courage and enter
prise OF those In executive command mas ms
doubts whether administrative ofiicials VIII be
prepared for the responsibility OF resolute ac-
ton The fleet. ne thinks may be kept hanging
about Cape verd Islands until the opportunity
for using it most effectively has been allowed 10
slip by.
AMERICAN CREWS WELL HANDLED.
The United States cannot command nearly SO
many trained seamen as the Power against
which they may soon be pitted. Nothing Ike
assumption applies 10 them. Their service Is
purely voluntary. and consequently there ls
often a difficulty in keeping crews up to their
full complement in spite Of high paw. and the
absence OF any hard and fast restrictions on
enlistment. Physical fitness up 10 high stand
ard is insisted uron but all other qualifications
seem to be taken for granted Even nationality
il not too curiously inquired into. but II any
after Joining we're inclined 20 snlrk me dutN
they owe to the Stars and Stripes. discipline IN
the strictest sense would soon knock all romance
out OF him. on nearly every American war
ship there s mixed crew 81 many nat'onalities
Germans. Danes. Swedes. Norwegians. Dutch
men live together there. and wage their poly
glot differences in a common nautical slang.
They may not always understand each other
but they must learn to know what an officer
means when he gives command. Teuton or
Celt or whatever they be- they must be all
Yankees in ready obedience 10 Uncle Sans de-
trar latc cd
naval vernacular.
Crews got together In this way cannot be
animated by pure patrotism but they VIII hght
all the same. and in qualities Of leadership the
young American officer rs not likely e. be want
ing. He knows at any rate how To exercise
authority board ship In shipshape smart
nees from stem to stern and from keel 10 truck
a cruiser Of he United States Navy may chal-
lenge comparison with British man-of-war.
and that is no faint praise. To civilian readers
II may seen q matter OF small importance
whether @ ship Is trim TO look at-with decks
scrubbed scruouously clean and every rope
neatly coiled-or has her portfolios begrmed
with dust from bunkers and tunnels. But these
are true tests of discipline and efficiency. II tn
decks be clean one may be sure that the cabins
and sleeping berths not foul. ~ the brass
mountings Of a gun be bright. the breech mech
enism and training gear may be relied upon as
ready for action AT any moment or the thor
oughness with which all things that are done
on board a bat;le-ship a keen sailor can always
Judge by the first thing that his eyes rest upon
IMPORTANCE OF CONCENTRATED ACTION.
Much has been said about tho possible action
Of privateers. America, at any rate, Will not
want to waste any efforts in that direction
There would be no commerce for the irregulars
TO prey upon SPANS trade is mainly with
France and England, and the vast majority OF
ships coming out Of Spanish ports sail under
foreign flags. so that unless they carried contra
band OF there would be nothing for a
prvateer to seize. Spain might possibly do more
in that way, but II could not benefit her greatly
in the long run. or avoid the inevitable issue
on this point Admiral Bourgeois wrote OF the
French under Louis XIV: Their efforts Mt sea
were directed solely 10 privateerng with the
result that France was forced to accept the
humillating conditions Of the Treaty Of Utrecht"
Captain Mahan. whose opinion will certainly
carry weight in America. is still more emphatic
He saws: "On sea as on shore. great results
can only he expected by welding great masaes
The squadron division warfare Of the