Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-11-17
THE HOLLAND
Endorsed by the Government
Board Of Inspection.
The Submarine Craft Comes Up to
All Claimed for Her.
Board Strongly Urges Purchase and Full Pro.
lection Of Our Coast.

New 1ofk, NOV. l&-The techina} re-
ports upon the Holland submarine tor
pedo boat were made public TODAY.
The report of John Lowe. captain II
S. navy, who was on the Holland boat
at the time of the official TEST gives
technical details of the principal cir
cunstances which took place within
the boat, and then in part saws:
Il report my belief that the Holland
is successful and veritable submarine
torpedo boat, capable of making n yeri-
table attack upon an enemy unseen and
undetectable and that. therefore. she
Is an engine OF warfare of terrible po-
tency which the government must nee
essarily adopt into its service. Con-
corning the worse than worthlessncss
or the present above-water 1orpedo
system and the absolute need Of a real
torpedo system such as the submarine
system. | have already reported.
In addition | would like to give
further reasons why a submarine SER
vice should be at once organized as a
matter of public necessity and security.
We must concede that the time has
not yet arrived for nations to disarm.
That nation which is not already to
fight, that ceases TO use the most fright
full Warlike appliances when war is
made, is already in the position of
China, a prey to the weakest and the
most rapacious. If, then, we propose
to fight, we must fight with every
lighting appliance. and. therefore. if
there is anything valuable in subma-
rine torpedo warfare. we must not per-
n ht iAI hal
backs. by any Hague conference OF
pusillanimous humantarianism forbid
ding such appliance,
Against conceding war to be posi-
BILE. consider where the United States
is weak and how to resist attack. We
have distant dependencies. the Philip
pines, Hawaii and the like. Will an
enemy seek To bring us to terms by at
lacking these We could afford to of
fer these as a gambit, upon which the
enemy could waste its strength, while
we were developing counter moves.
Any powerful enemy would not play
at war after that fashion. They would
strike us in the vitas An eight day
dash across the Atlantic would bring
their ships to Montauk Point. where
they would encounter the American
fleet which. being destroyed by force
of numbers, the remainder of the en-
emy'S ships could pass on, and anchor
in Long Island sound in perfect secur-
ity and shortly Long island would be-
come a foreign possession. So many
have spoken of this scheme that | am
satisfied il has been considered and di-
gested in foreign countries and is part
Of their programme.
I'm our last Spanish war we saw the
army diligently fortifying against
phantom ships. In our next war it will
not be phantom ships. for there are at
least two nations who can do this thing
single handed. We need right off so
submarine torpedo vessels in Long Is
land sound to preserve the peace and
to give potency to our diplomacy. The
French in this matter are much more
alive to their needs than we are. What
we have left to a private company the
French have taken up as nationalaf-
at seems to me quite a necessity that
this government should not allow the
skill and knowledge possessed by the
Holland people to pass out of its own
hands from native to foreign lands. but
should at once purchase the Holland and
put the Holland people under some ban
whereby they Will be prevented from dis
closing secrets to the disadvantage of the
United States. | desire to add my opinion
as to what the future policy of the navy
department should be after inaugurating
Il submarine service. Instead of doing
too much with one vessel. each one
should be distinct vessel of its kind.
and not have combined two or more
kinds in one vessel. Thus there should
he submarine torpedo boats, submarine
submarine observation and dis
patch boats. submarine counter mines
and submarine channel draggers. etc,
each kind complete in itself. but not com
bining more than one office
The object have in mind is to keep
the boats down to small dimensions for
the sake Oh hardness. and to keep each
boat as roomy and as habitable as pos
sibe for the sake of the crew. This class
Of vessel cannot possibly have the com
forts of a roomy vessel There can be
only limited cooking facilities. The
must therefore, always be attached To
some base, either on shore or anoat"
The report of the board of inspt
and survey, signed by Fred Rogers. rear
L. s. n, president. and others,
describes in detail the official trial of the
newspapers at the time. and concludes
with the observation that all of the Off
cial requirements We're fulfilled by the
of the Holland on this trial.
The report states that the performance
Of the Holland during this trial showed 4
marked Improvement as compared with
that of Nov y, 1873.
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