The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-17
LIKE A FISH.
The Torpedo Boat Holland
Dives or SWims.
Official Report Pronounced a
Complete Success.
AN ENGINE OF WAR.
Calculated to Inspire Terror
In Our Enemies.
Rear Admiral Rodgers Wants
90 More Like Her.

new 4Orks NOV. 11.-Ihe Official EepOINS
on the Holland boat from John Love,
captain United States navy and the board
of inspection and survey of which the
president is Frederick Rogers, rear ad-
miral, United States navy were made
public today.
Both reports deal at length in the tech
nicalities of the trials and both agree
that the trials have been successful in
almost every particular.
Captain Lowe, in addition, submits
report of his observations, as ordered by
the government
The trial of the Holland boat took place
on November 8, before the board of in
spection and survey.
L, with nine men on board or four more
ti I " !1ei gong into a 6ght- 1heEe we're
The tests comprised running on the
torpedo firing and they were all very sue
cessful- Captain Lowe concludes his tech
I report my belief that the Holland
is a successful and Veritable submarine
torpedo boat capable of making a verit--
able attack upon an enemy unseen and
undetectable, and, that there fore she IS
an engine of warfare of terrible potency
adopt into its service"
on ms personal observations, ne says:
"COncerning the worse than worthless
ness OF the present above water torpedo
system, ITS methods, theories and ap-
planes, the need for a deliverance from
It's absurdltleS and from the tool s para
dlse OF It's false security ana instead the
absolute need of real torpedo system
Such as the submarine system, nave
already reported under date OF November
IA, 1898
why submarine service should at once
be organized as matter Of public nee
In the first place we must concede
that, notwithstanding The Hague confer
ence, the time has not yet arrived for
NATIONS TO dlsarm; on the contrary, that
nation Which IS not ready to fight, that
the most fguitfuI appliances when war
is made, has already placed itself in
possess those valuable attributes which
are well described in the term manhood.
prey to the weakest and the most rapac-
ious, and a disturbance to all the rest
If then, we propose to fight, we must
nght with every lighting appliance, and
not pernit our hands to he lied bebin5
our backs by any Hague conference or
pusilianamOus humanitarianiSn forbid
ding such appliances.
Philippines, Hawaii and the like. Win an
enemy seek to bring US to terms by at
lacking these? Perhaps But if so
ingly weak. Let US not deceive ourselves
war after that fashion. They would
dSh aeTo i t the Afa6tc Wo 96dht bF qng
their ships to Montauk Point, where they
would encounter the American fleet which
( being destroyed by force of numbers, the
remainder OF the enemy's ships could
pass on and anchor in Long Island Sound
in perfect security and very shortly Long
/ Island would become a foreign possession.
10 not consider inns ScheIne a 1anc1fuI
one, it is not original to my mind. So
many have spoken of it. that I am salts
field it has been considered and digested
in foreign counsels and is part of their
! programme.
Our last Spanish war convinced me
| that our people were at that time awake
| TO TINS fact, Tor we saw the army dill
gently fortifying against what-phantom
ships.
I'm our next war it won't be phantom
ships, for there are at least two nations
which can do this single handed.
we need right off and right now fifty
and Sound to preserve the peace and to
give potency to our diplomacy
1t seems to me quite necessity, that
this government should not allow this
skill and knowledge OF these owning and
running the Holland boat to pass out of
/ its own hands from native to foreign
/ trOphe by at once purchasing the HOl-
land and putting the Holland people IN
vented from disclosing secrets to the dis
/ advantage of the United States.
How keenly foreign governments are
/ alive to the Holland. have shown in my
! facts herein reported concerning the pres
/ ence of foreign officers upon her.
I desire to add to my own opinion as
! department should be after inauguratin &
/ a submarine service. Instead of doing too
/ be distinct vessel of its kind, and not
I have combined two or more kinds in one
/ vessel.
THUS there should be submarine torpe-
! do boats; submarine gunboats; submarine
| observation and dispatch boats; submar-
| inc cOuntermineS and submarine channel
! draggers, etc, each kind complete in it's
/ elf but not combining more than one Of
''The object I have in mind is to keep
I for the sake of hardness and to keep
/ each boat as rOOmy and as habitable as
possible for the sake of the crew."