New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-13
TRIBUTE TO OUR NAVY.
VIEWS OF THE NAVAL ATTACHE OF THE
FRENCH EMBASSY.
UNITED STATES SECOND AMONG GREAT POWERS
IN CONSTRUCTION OF wARsHIPs-wHY NOT
MORE LIGHTER CRUIsERs7-TRI
rrE TC ADMIRAL DEWEY.

lite TC ADMIRAL DEWEY.
WASHINGTON. March l2.-Lieutenant De Faramonc
OF the French Navy recently arrived mere III CUM
pany with the French Ambassador. NJ CANNON 70
become naval attache OF the french f'inoasSS'
Lieutenant De Faramond has had wide experience
os naval observer following the japanese and
chinese vessels through the China-Japan war. and
now coming here 10 study American naval methous
Speaking OF the American Navy to-day Lieutenant
De Faramond said:
The American Navy has attracted Worldwide
attention within the last year and this Is Leading
Euronean countries to send naval attaches 10
Washington This will be the first time that the
French Government has had a naval a''acne VIZ"
the Embassy. A German naval officer Is coming u
the German Embassy. and other countries uouot'eSS
will follow I'm the same course. Since the spanish
American war this country affords splendid faclii-
Ties for naval study II the first real test OF
modern fighting vessels. and naval science must
draw its conclusions largely from what the A'he''-
can Navy accomplished In the war with spain
81 think II is universally conceded in Europe tha'
,bo American %avv made splendid record not only
In n general vay but in technical matters OF hdNa'
detail II demonstrated the effectiveness OF the
rapid fire gun OF medium calibre, rather 'han '"e
larger guns. 1t also seemed TO sho" '!'d' w
power of a navy is more In It's weapons Vi "'
and offence its capabllity OF giving blows rd'ne'
tban IN It's heavy armor and capablity OF resisting
blows.
FRANCE AWARE OF OUR NAVAL POWER.
we IN France we're well aware OF the growing
nower OF the American Navy even before the recent
war our chief naval constructor. NJ. Bertih came
TO this country prior to the war ana maze 'o''
OF the dock yards. arsenals etc. on MS return lie
made an official report showing the great improve
ments the American naval constructors had DrQught
about particularly In the arrangement ol JUN ~
heads and in distribution or arinor 50 az ~
prOfect vital points. We also know your <tlnel !Vl
armor and are using the Harveyized AineTi i
process which has been found entirely Satisfactory
Lieutenant De Faramond says foreign naval OBJ
servers are not only teTes,eu be large amount Of
avail construction now in progress IN thf nI,,eu
From Italian naval statistics he shows that the
United States to-day reckoned second among IIe
Great Powers In point OF warshps uhuei con on
srucon This tonnage by countries Is as s,at ,ol
lows Great Britain, laS,l32 tons; United Sdaf fes
Germany. 1866; Italy. 1872.
WHY so MANY HEAVY VESSELS?
AN interesting line of inquiry" said Lieutenant
De Faramond rs as TO why you are building so
many heavy ships. ironclads as we call them as
against the lighter, swifter cruiser. me Hohci"d
IS essentially 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 Medlter-
ranean and eight in the northern squadron. but
these are purely defence vessels and never leave
the home ports The performance OF your battle
shin Oregon in running 1900 miles around South
America was remarkable for that reason. and
her present trip across the Pacific Is equally re-
markable 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
arnor to make her defensive powers almost equal
those of the ironClads.
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 exceedingly swift
Lieutenant De Faramond also says he thinks the
adoption OF the water-tube boilers In American
fh.r ir0fTn III Il
make them much more effective for long cruising.
This class OF boilers, he has been adopted by
the British admiralty for the Powerful the Terrible
and ships OF that class. and generally by the naval
authorities OF France, Russia. Japan Chill. Argen-
tina and Italy. VI. Niaud a naval constructor OF
the French Navy, is at present in Washington on
an unofficial mission md will confer with our
naval constructors this new method of boiler
construction
Admiral Dewey is generally recognized abroad
a s entitled TO rank OF the great naval com
manders." said Lieutenant De Faramond. Such
a does honor to the naval fraternity the world
over"