The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-22
COMP ARSON OF NAVIES.
American Ships and Sailors as Seen
Through German Spectacles.
DEWEY AND Won DIEDRlCHs COMPARED
Captain Lieutenant Won Reuber Pas
chaHtz, n Naval Attache of the
German Embassy, Talks.

Chicago, May 2i.-Captain Lieutenant
Won Reuber Paschaltz. naval attache OF
the German embassy, talked interestingly
today with representative OF the Assoc
clated Press as to his observations of the
American navy. Speaking of the technical
construction of American Aiips, Captain
Pasehalitz said
While the American ships are built on
the same general lines as the German and
English ships, yet they show a tendency
to try new Ideas, to experiment on details.
For instance. the disposition OF ammunl-
ton and the ammunition hosts are admir-
able contrivances. The ammunition is
served through one central chamber and is
delivered immediately back of the gun
ready to be placed in the breech and fred.
This is so obviously the right thing and
so practical in the rush and confusion of
action that all navies have followed your
lead. There are many of these small
points which appeal to the naval observer,
and altogether they are developing and
perfecting new ideas all the time. Tho
larg4 coal capacity of American ships Is a
capital feature which will prove specially
serviceable il you are TO have outlying
territory such as Hawaii and the Philip
pires.
How does the personnel of our navy
the officers and men--compare with that
of other navies?' vas asked
THE American naval officers have much
technical knowledge, perhaps more thdn
German officers You have just united the
engineer branch with the regular line of
the navy so that hereafter all your naval
officers will also have to be engineers.
That is carrying the technical knowledge
very far and il will put great require
II onts on your officers. When officers are
compelled TO master such mass OF lct5il
they have scant time for considering the
larger question OF attack and defense and
the cal science of warfare. They become
too mechanical. The great naval COM
m8Gders are not merely engineers, but men
OF intellectual attachments. Wien your
torpedo boat service is fully developed IL
will be found that they cover a Held OF
great usefulness. We have These craft
formed In divisions with special drills and
manoeuyers suited to their size, much AS
u troop of soldiers would be drilled. But
there Is little In that line here so far as
l have observed, and the uses OF the tor
pedo boat are vet to be realized. As |
have seen them they are much used as dis
patch boats rather than as well occupied
adjunct OF attack or defense. Probably
when all your new destroyers and torpedo
boats are completed this organization viii
follow and then VIII come the new line OF
study and practice for tho United states
officers, giving them, with an their otnet
duties an unusual amount OF technical
knowledge to master.
AS to the American sailor l. is hard
TO judge him by any foreign standard ~
your ideas and ours are 80 totally dit-
ferent. Physically the American sailor 4;
splendid specimen. The American method
Of recruiting is calculated TO get gooc
class of men. drawn from a wide stretct
OF country and with frequent ihtusions o
now blood, while with US sailorins is al
most life business. Probably, as a whole
the American system gets better elias
Of men than that in vogue abroad /
certainly tends to give the men create
self-relance and that in turn may BE- tht
reason they are such good lighters.
They certainly know how to keep YOU
ships in ship-shape. and their discipline
is probable equal to that of any naval ser.
vico In the world
How does the rate of American nava
ship building compare with that Of Ger
many2
IT is proceeding at about the same rat,
and it seems as though the American navy
had been kept about on parallel lines foi
some years with ours. Our facilities fol
naval shipbuilding are probably greater
than yours, as we have a system OF larg,
shipbuilding plants beginning with Dant2ll
Tho Vulcan works m Stet,,n wbI"b !"
nrtvake instttution crcabie Of ooinc laTc,
eoyernnent contracts and thoss at HAN.
burg and at Bremen. There are govern
helmstrossn ana he ro,,o,r,,ort ols,
maIeee use A. no nriv,,s r,rts ~, Is
stance NJ t4a,,h,,rt, ,bo Az, ,,ht,h ,t 80
some ~ ~ fnr,oss .,atii - ,,, "n'eu pu,a
hniiS,nr ono 81 an ND, ti'iet5 70 muN
rnnnsee nf about 70 600 rb, Ut, q.
shir h,,i,din,, snnit,.i- Nv N',e ~
yaion,ng ranI5,,9 a. Ky" " ~ ue
n,ent Ye-ig ~ praon,,'n ~ NV kueetii.
nriysts risnts a. NaHnn- W. ~ are sne piE