The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-13
The Eyes of the
World Are Upon It.
FRENCH OFFICER
Voices the Sentiment of All
Other Nations.

Washington, March 12.-Lieut. De
Faramond of the French navy recent
ly arrived here in company with the
French ambassador, M. Cambon, to
become naval attache of the French
embassy. Lieut.. De Faramond has
had wide experience as a naval OBJ
server, following the Japanese and
Chinese vessels through the China
Japan war, and now coming here to
study American naval methods.
Speaking of the American navy to-
day, Lieut.. De Faramond said:
The 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 the French government has
had naval attache with the embassy.
A German naval officer is coming to
the German embassy and other coun-
Tries doubtless will follow in the same
line.
Since the Spanish war.
TINS country affords splendid facilities
Tor naval study. 1t was the first real
test Of modern fighting vessels, and ma
val science must draw its conclusions
accomplished during the war with
Spain. 1 think it is universally con-
ceded in Europe that the American
navy made a splendid record not only
in a general way, but in technical mat
tiers of naval detail.
1t demonstrated the effectiveness of
the rapid fire gun of medium calibre,
rather than the larger guns. 1t also
seemed to show that the power of a,
. l.
and offense, it's capability of giving
blows rather than in it's heavy armor
and capabtlity of resisting blows"
we in France were quite aware of
the growing power Of the American
navy even before the recent war. Our
chief naval constructor, M. Berth,
came to this country prior to the war
and made tour of your dockyards, ar
senals, etc. On his return he made an
otneial report, showing the great i'm
provements the American naval con-
structors had brought about, partic-
ularly in the arrangement of bulkheads
and In the distribution of armor so as
to protect vital points. We also knew
your American armor and are using
the Harveyized American process
which has been found entirely salts
factory thus far"
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 in progress in the
United States and the naval improve
ment it involves. From Italian naval
statistics he shows that the United
States is today reckoned second among
the great powers in point of warships
under construction.
This tonnage by countries is as fol-
lows Great Rrif1iY1
United States, 56,427; Japan. 47.52O;
Russia, 2S,O40; France, % sos; Germany,
1858; Italy, 1912.
AN interesting line of inquiry" said
Lieut. De Faramond, lis as to WHY Won
are building so many heavy ships,
lronclads as we call them, as against
the lighter, swifter cruisers. The iron
clad is essentially a home ship and is
not fitted, owing to her bulk and lack
Of coal capacity, for crossing the ocean
or for long cruises. The French navy
has in commission four ironclads on
the Mediterranean and eight in the
northern squadron.
But there are purely defense vessels
and never leave the home port The per
Torrance of your battleship Oregon, in
running $4,000 miles around South
America, was remarkable for that rea-
son, and her present trip across the Pa
cifc is equally remarkable.
But judged by the usual naval stand
ards an armored cruiser would have
been much better equipped for these
long voyages. She has the speed, the
coal and at the same time sufficient ar
NOR to make her defensive powers al
most equal to those of the ironclad."
The lieutenant says that France has
gone further in adopting the torpedo
boat as an effective naval weapon than
any other country. She has in all some
$50 torpedo boats, some very swift.
Lieut.. De Faramond says he thinks the
adoption of the water tube boilers in
American ships will be a further i'm
provement and will make them much
more effective for long cruising This
class of boilers, he says, has been
adopted by the British admiralty for
the Powerful, Terrible and ships Of that
class and quite generally by the naval
authorities of France, Russia, japan,
Chilli, Argentine and Italy.
NJ. Viaud, a naval constructor Of the
French navy is at present in Washing
ton on an unofficial mission and viii
confer with our naval constructors on
this new method Of boiler construction
Admiral Dewey is generally recog-
nized abroad as entitled to rank as one
Of the great naval commanders" said
Lieut.. De Faramond. such a man does
honor to the naval fraternity the world
over"