The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-11-17
THE DAY IS NOT YET HERE
WHEN NATIONS SHOULD AGREE TO
A DISARMAMENT.
Captain Lowe Speaks of the Dement'S
of the submarine Bont-urGes
Its Immediate Purchase.

New York. November 1.-THE official
reports OF the Holland boat from John
Lowe, captain, and the board of inspec-
tion and survey, of which the president
is Frederick Rogers, rear admiral United
States navy. were made public today. Roth
reports deal at length in the technica;ities
of the trials and both agree that the trials
have been successful in almost every par
Iicular.
Captain Lowe concludes his technical
report as follows 81 report my beaei
that the Holland is successful and ve!i-
table submarine torpedo boat, capable OF
making veritable attack upon an enem!
unseen and undeteetible and that therefore
she is an engine oil warfare oil terrible Pc
tency which the government must neees-
sarly adopt into its service Oh his per-
sonal observations he says:
Concerning the worse than worthless
ness OF the present above water toTpe"o
system, it's methods theories and ap-
planes, the need TOR a deliverance from
its absurdities and from the fools paradise
OF its false security and instead the aoso'
lutte need of a real torpedo system, sIeh
as the submarine system, have aIrsa1!
reported under date OF November Ii, ISIS
would like to give further rea sons why
submarine service should at once be or
ganlzed as matter If public necessity and
security. In the first place we must eoa-
bede that. Notwithstanding the Hague
conference, time has MOI yet arrived io'
nations to disarm; on the contrary, that
nation which is not ready TO fight, tnat
ceases to study war, that ceases 20 use
the most frightful appliances when war Is
made, has already placed Itself in posi-
ton of inferiority and has ceased 10 pos
sess those valuable attributes which are
well described in the term manhood. Such
nation is already in the position OF
China, a prey TO the weakest and most
rapacious. and disturbance to all the rest
of mankind.
"If then we propose to fight we must fight
with every lighting appliance and therefore
If there is anything valuable in sub
marine torpedo warfare. we must not per
NIT our hands to be tied behind our backs
by any Hague conference or pusillanimous
humanitaranism forbidding appliances. We
have distant dependencies the Philippines,
Hawaii and the like. Will an enemy seek
to bring us to terms by attacking these?
Let us not deceive ourselves. Any pow
erful enemy would not play at war after
that fashion. They would strike us in the
vitals. An eight day dash across the At
lantic would bring their ships to Montauk
Point, where they would encounter the
American feet which, being destroyed by
force of numbers. the remainder OF the
enemy's ships could pass on and anchoi
on Long Island in perfect security and very
shortly Long Island would become for
eign possession. DO not consider this
scheme d fanciful one, it Is not original
to my mind. So many have spoken OF 1t
that l am satisfied it has been considered
and digested in foreign councils and it
is part of their programme.
our last Spanish war convinced me
that our own people were at that time
awake to this fact, for we saw the army
diligently fortifyng against phantom
ships. In our next war it won't be phan-
tom ships. for there are at least two ma
tons which can do this single-handed
We need right off and right now fifty sub
marine torpedo vessels in Long Island
sound to preserve the peace and give po-
tency to our diplomacy. 1t seems to me
quite right that this government should
not leave the skill and knowledge of those
owning the Holland boat to pass out of
its own hands and native to foreign lands
but should forestall such catastrophe by
at once purchasing the Holland and put
ting the Holland people under some ban
whereby they Will be prevented from dis.
closing secrets TO the disadvantage of the
United States.
How keenly foreign governments are
alive to the Holland l have shown in facts
herein reported concerning the presence
OF foreign officers upon her"