New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-21
THE BATTLE OFF SANTIAGO
AN ENGLISH CRITIC ON THE LESSONS r.
TEACHES.
GENEROUS PRAISE FOR OUR NAvY-rHE HART,
OF WINNING AT SEA"


was the old hard-poundng such as the Ella
bethan sea-dogs used. and the same curiou,
mixture of stoadiness and daring, goodness ana
reckless dash. No doubt the compara,Ivs
strengths were very different. but as one road.
81 the Spanish ships tearing ful-speed up N.
coast of Cuba closely pursued by the relentless
Americans, who poured In continuous ana
we-dirccted fire. II Is Impossible not 10 thin
Of the Armada as 1t passed Up the Channel IA
flight brakes ships hanging on It's flank ana
Kidding the Spaniard's hulls with their ceasS
less nre-a fire which, az on last Sunday
always hit and always did damage Had IN
deed. the Spanish ships been more numerous
and larger. and had most Of the American
ships Dcen the size of the Gloucester the ba,
tie, after the Spanish ships emerged youx
have been working model Of the battle whk5
began the destruction Of the Armada. n
word. the moral aspects OF what was almouns
first and may be the last feet action betrss.
the Spanish and the English races were 20,
much alike. In both cases it was the man >.
hind the gun who, in the last resort won IL
tattle.
WHAT CERVERA MIGHT HAVE DONE
The technical lessons Of the last naval batts
will have, Of courne 70 be fully worked out by
the naval experts, but even the most superficial
view shows or two facts OF great inpor.
tance. They are not new facts exactly but Old
facts with new faces and therefore well worth
considering The Arst thing that strikes one ia
the practical fUtility Of passive courage espe.
a
coward az a man who runs headl0ng on his
death, careless whether he loses his own lie
but also careless whether he kills his enemy |,
the Spaniards had been as cool and
daShing they were Indifferent 10
death, they might not have beaten the
Americans but at least they would have don.
an immense deal Of damage to the American
fleet. Granted that Admiral Cervera had
formed the resolve of breaking out OF Santiago
by daylight how should he have acted? How.
that is could he have sold his ships and the
lives of his men dearest? That surely should
have been the question put n himself by the
Spanish Admiral. II 1t had been,put, could the
answer have been any other than something OF
this kind?-'I will order each 81 my ships as
she gets clear Of the neck OF the bottle which
forms the harbor OF Santiago to choose one Of
the American ships. and to ny straight az her
as a savage dog flies at man. Ny ship shall
ram the American If she can. but II not assal
her as furiOusly as possible II the American
ship gives way before the Spanish onslaught
the Spaniard can get out 70 sea and escape
IT, on the other hand. the American closes with
her, then there will be fierce fight In which
one or the other or probably both, will go to
the bottom This will probably happen. but
meantime some OF the Spanish ships will have
had time TO get into the open sea. once there
scatter and fly is 10 be the order" II AdmiT
Ccrvera had adopted these bold or IL you Ike
mad. tactics, he would no doubt have lost mos
Of his ships. but then he would have probably
sunk or damaged three or four Of the American
vessels. while one or two Of his own would very
likely have got away scot-free. As ii was he
lost all his ships and did no damage 10 the
Americans He secured this really astonish.
ing result by instead of flying at the throats 0.
the Americans. attempting 10 run along The
shore with the American fleet between him and
the open sea. AS he and his ships ran the
Americans poured upon them a storm OF shot
and shell. and showed once again that he VINO
runs away is in far greater danger than even
he who waits TO be killed hut intends 10 sell M
49,. L aid
lesson to be drawn from the battle of Santiago
Another is equally clear equally important and
almost equally old.
THE MAN BEHIND THE GUN.
II is that In naval war what really matter.
is not the armor- plating. the build Of the SIP
or even the power Of the engines. but the nSa
behind the gun. When Captain Mahan vas
entertained in England at a naval dinner, w
speech of the evening was admitted by ." "
have been made by the American ofhcer. nv
reminded his hearers that strategy, ana a.m@'
and new types of gun, and scientinc oodse~
and all the rest were very good things ou' N
the last resort what really mattered Was W.
man behind the gun. That was true IN the 0Ia
wars. and has been proved true again. both o.
Manila and at Santiago Straight shoouhg ~
after ALL what wins the battle. or course ~.
had better have gun that VIII hre' anu W..
a powerful shot at a longsh range. put even u
you have got IL, II Is perfectly useless II in1
mon behind il are too excited or have nad loY
little practice 10 be able 10 fire II straight a.4
so to hit with it. The most deaaiy 20,
ent SHE'LL fired from the newest anu l"os
expensive and most scientific or guns 10 =.
better than an old round shot fired from s
OF Nelson's day if II drops in the water anu 10y. -
not strike the encmys hull or deck In ons.
words superiority If gun-tire is now, as i" ~.
days Of old. the chief thing 10 look lor' -.
doubt you should We have SAID give 49, ~,
men as good a gun TO fire with as possipF. W..
teach their officers and them 10 rely. no. NY
the ships armor. or the range or heF su',
the weight Of the metal discharged. or the sp
OF the engines, but upon thu power. II -
to make the enemy's hull look Ike 49, 49,
plaster. Look at the heroic Tight m1oe W ~.
little Gloucester (By the way. the people - car
old city should send a greeting ana SIN . nss
TO the little ship that has done their name ~.
creditD What gave the Gloucester her 49,. 49,.
and also allowed her 10 escape was neF ,or.
fire. The "destroyers" she disanen' icy ns,l,
the Spanish cruisers. could have SUNK NJ, 80
could they have Hit her. but they taleu IA
so. partly because Of their own essentla's nan
craftsmanship. and partly also because ,,,sv
who is peppering you from revoiVef 10 ..,r,cy
hard TO hit. Being shot at win great AZ ssu.
IS apt &c destroy ones aim. That our o" 20,
ors are very good marksmen already we a. ,ouM
doubt nor do We doubt that their pract.e an.
be better rather than worse. III an 80 asht
gagement Still, we hope that the Sant'asu .nyr.
will make the Admiralty give still more , eni
agement to the practice az gun-nre ehIst
should he made 10 feel that one oi w" w, suc.
things expected from then is RECORD miners y,
cessful shooting. while tie realy a1le e., and
should be marked out for special pron,V', fact
special privileges. Good firing shou', - more
be treated as an essential. There y w, OF
thing to he remembered. The per',,.sod nee,.
the Gloucester IN Dws that an inpros =, men
thoroughly we'll armed and mahntu ,ab,e sea
who can shoot NAV he far more forfn ,, AZ no,
torco Than is sometimes supposed. we 90 we
wish Il 10 he supposed for monien, nth IN not.
desire TO trust 10 this fact: still. u u "'
ing. ,,,,, povFRs
So much for the 81 eca lessons Of 'ne which
There remains on. general consius,o, that the
must ho mentioned The battle shows 49,. s ma
American Nayv is a most efficient ns MN here
chine chine, We did MT want TO be tod 'n a. wha,
for we knew 1t already ana rear ea,iA'' they did
etufY the lions rheps were mace. though
not however know it on the Con, UNI ourselves
apparently they know II now. r,,erican feet
we have little doubt that the Aine', any grea,
could face even that Of France with.uo ,,les the
risk oSdlsaster No doubt by an WV the Amer
French feet Is ten times as strong a. u, IN Al one
;ca, ora oucht 10 be able 10 ear u Wy ,ys be-