Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1899-03-18
FRENCH OPINION OF OUR NAVY
Lieut.. FnramOnd Talks Interestingly
of American War Ships and
the Late War.

OIL American War ships and
the Late War.
Washington, March l3.--Lieut. de
of the French navy, recent
y arrived here in company with the
French ambassador, NJ. Cambon, to be-
come naval attache of the French em-
bassy. Lieut.. de Faramond has had
wide experience as a naval observer,
following the Japanese and Chinese
vessels through the China-japanese
war, and now coming here to study |
naval methods. Speaking of
the American navy yesterday, Lieut..
de Faramond said:
Has Attracted Worid-ySideAt Attention.
"Ihe American navy has attracted !
worldwide attention within the last |
year, and this. is leading European
countries to send naval attaches to
Washington. This will be the first !
time that thet'rench government has
had a naval attache with the embassy.
A German naval officer is coming to
the German embassy, and other conn-
tries doubtless SilI follow in the same
line.
"Sincc the Spanish-American war
this country affords splendid facilities
for naval study. It Was the first real
test of modern fighting vessels, and
naval science must draw its conclu-
SONS largely from what ;he American
navy accomplished during the war
with Spain.
Made Splendid Record.
81 think it is universally conceded in
Europe that the American navy made
IL splendid record, not only in gen
e1al way, but in technical matters OF
naval datail. 1t demonstrated the cf-
ftctiveness Of the rapid-fire gun Of
medium caIiber, rather than the larger
guns. 1t also seemed to show that the
power Of navy is more in its weapons
of attack and ofcnsc, its capability of
giving blows, rather than in its heavy
armor and capability of resisting
blows.
Growing Power of 0ur Navy.
1--WE, in France, were quite aware OF
the growing power or the American
navy even before the recent war. Our
chief naval constructor, y. Bcrtin,
GENE to this country prior to the war
and made tour OF your doclNards,
arscnaIs. etc. On his return he made
an official report, showing the great
improvements the American naval
constructors had brought about, par
tisuIarly in the arrangement OF bulk
heads and in the distribution OF armor
So as to protect vital points. We also
know your American armor, and are
using the haryeyizcd American process,
which has been found entirely sue
cessful thus far
Nayics of the World.
Lieut.. de Faramond says foreign
naval observers are not only interested
in the results of the war, but are also
observing the large amount OF naval
construction now i'll progress III inc
tinted States, and the naval improve
uent il involves. From Italian naval
| statistics he shows that the United
States is to-day rcckoned second among
the great powers in point OF war shlrs
under construction. This tonnage bi
countries is as follows: Great Britain
1913 tons, United States j6,i25, Ja'
nan 43.52O. Russia 29,040, France 20,
6GS, Germany 16,545 and Italy 2,9'2.
An Interesting Line of Inquiry.
"An interesting line Of inquiry,
said Lieut.. dc Faramond, sis as TO why
you are building SO many heavy SHIPS
ronclads. as we call them' al
AGAINST the lighter, swIter cruisers
The French navy has in commission
l., ironclads ON the Mediterranean an'
eight in the northern squadron. Bu
these are purely defense vessels, an'
never leave home ports.
The OreGon's Trip.
"Thc performance of your hattleshil
OREGON. in running $4,000 miles aroun'
South America, was remarkable 10
that reason, and her present trip acros
the Pacific is equally remarkable. bu
iudred by the usual naval standards a
armored crusier would have been mucI
better equipped for these long voyages
She has the speed, the coal, and at tn
Same time Sufficient armoF to make he
defensive Sowers almost eu'ah ~ fhos
ol the ironclad."
Possible improvements.
The lieutenant says that France ma
GONE further in adopting the torped
boots AS an effective naval Wcapo
than any other country. She mas !
nj, some $50 torpedo boats, some c
them very swift. De Faramond say
bc thinks the adoption of the waite
tubc boilers in American war sh'E
will he a further improvement, an
will make them much more ehect''
for long cruising. This class oil ooi
, ers. he says, has been adopted by VI
british admiralty for the Po"erfn
Terrible and ships of that class, an
mite generally by the naval author
ties of France, Russia, Japan, Ohli
Argentine and Italy.
NJ. Niaud, naval constructor OF u
rrcrcb navy, is at present in Wasl
;rgton. on an unofficial mission, an
will confer with our naval constructor
IN this new method of boiler constru
, tion.
"Admiral Dewey is generally rco'
rized abroad as entitled to rank as OF
: of the great naval commanders, saI
dc Faramond. Such man does hoh'
to the naval fraternity the world over
Mrs. Gen. Kcifcr Dead.
Springfield, o., March 13.-Mrs.
&, Warren Keifer, wife of Maj ke'
or died here at three o'clock yesterda
morning of pneumonia. She had pee
IN hut little over week. Gen. hei'
, and his son, Capt, Keifer, OF ms sta
. are on their way home from Havan
, but will not arrive here until Iuesd'
!. or Wednesday. Mrs. keifer was
= vears of age, having been married
o Gen. Keifer in 1860. during r'es'ue'