New-York tribune., 1899-06-07
| SAMPSON ON THE NAVY.
NOT ADEQUATE TO THE NEEDS OF THE
NATION HE SAYS.
DOUBLE THE PRESENT NUMBER OF SHIPS NEcEs-
sARY TO MAINTAIN THE POSITION OF THE

sARY TO MAINTAIN THE POSITION OF THE
UNITED STATES AS A WORLD POWER.
THE Independent" this week will contain the fol-
lowing article by Rear-Admra Sampson on The
United States Navy:
have long believed that the Navy OF the United
States is not adequate TO the needs OF the Nation,
and in spite OF our victories the events 9l tne psSS
held before the war began For an Army inereSSe
that lai we could c W use large army except for OF
foreign conquest, which the sentiment OF our coun
Britain could hope TO attack us successfully upon
the land No two Powers combined coulo nope 70 70
this country. France and Germany could accom-
plish little or nothing against us by means OF IneH
on our coast they have not the coaling stations;
they have not the type OF ships that must be USED
tempt military operations on a large scale.
Three thousand miles Of water protect us from
all except one possible enemy-Great Brtan-who
sres permanent peace and the closest friendship;
that at could be desired do not believe that there
is any room for doubt as TO the good faltn oi me
prepared TO make sacrifices TO secure H. II was
not always so For long time Engan "n,s was tne IN,
volved in a war with Her conversion 10 friend
ship. which seems likely 70 last and grow stronger ,
removes the danger OF fight at close quarters with
a most formidable enemy.
GREAT INTERESTS AT STAKE.
Foreign armies therefore. do not constitute
danger 10 this country. The possible wars wnicn
them successfully we need more ships. l believe
that we should have at least twice as many SIPS
we desire TO have it So the war has made great
change in our position among the nations; IONS t Ihey W
in the front rank OF the Powers whose voices , oe,
eide questions OF world politics AZ Inc sas aS ave
undertaken the government o, ssc aPo Power and
cannot evade the responsibilities OF such position;
We have great interests in the Pacific Ocean, ana
must be prepared TO cope rgb WIN S To safeguard
our interests to maintain our position, TO speak
WIT with @ tne ore sbgs II our easy Victories over the
fleets OF a weak naval Power HI our people with
eougb for ali our needs then those Victories Will
have done US harm instead OF good, ,o-,,,,
I believe IN harbor defences. Every lmPortan,,
harbor on the coast should possess It's own local
defences. which only determined attack d 9t M, me
now make a successful attack upon New orS'
The torpedo the torpedo boat the nine the snooe @
But Il seems to me that they did not have falr
opportunity TO show their merits sun oeIste ~
the torpedo boat, the mine and the shore oattery.
n one Of our ports had been attacked by hostile
feet you would probably have seen feSu IS Nanls
Bay But. granting all that can be claimed & tor
harbor defences, there s remains WIN ny-,ne US n
naton Is 10 be successful # must be aggressive.
We be PREPARED 10 strike ma narG n order to do
that we need more ships
CRITICS OF THE NAVY ANSWERED.
The record Of our Navy in the late war can harp ,
ly be considered other than wonoerIuL IL eu,hnri
ties and caused them to give up many faise TeaS; ey
which they had long entertained about Us:
and was made up Of hodgepodge OF t9reigness M .ts
who could be depended upon 20 staho ~ %
IS now pretS tSs we'll disposed o. Of fact
there never anythNHs nv IN tbat H. fough; the war
with Spain than Il was true OF tns Tyy has al
nd
clpilne | think events have answered criticism On
that point Fighting nation angb waGn on we totally
destroyed It's principal fleets without sunerlng sne
% loss 2 2t more Ss astonshed H ali foreign experts
ships when put to any extraordinary test, a"Sys O
sons long run What need then is there to de-
fend the discipline Of the American Navy? The
Manila for instance showed the perfection OF dis
c.pline. Nelson at the Nle mace "a pEu.tuos 60
After that IL was a hammer and-tongs fight, me
question being who could hit the hardest ana the
he lost many men and some ships. The scar on
the Baltimore is the only physIca evIoe"cs snS .nSI
ing off distance and cooy planting dow DOW, aItor @
blow, Dewey achieved the maXIaum 9I reIe' way Igr
the minimum Of expenditure surely thaI - 49,
and surely Il gives evidence OF the very hsnest or
Nor is it true. either to allege that foreigners
FIJI our Navy. and that we cannot get AInsriicans ria
70 serve on our ships More 9ha aav of them
native-born. and the others naturalized cltlzens.
By help OF the late war foreigners nave 14ScOs-
erod In the American Navy many virtues. the ex-
lstence " which there they never suspected Iney
a re really TO concede that so far as IL goes,
ship for ship IT is quite as good as any upon
earth But with the revelation or these virtues,
which we knew all about. came also the revelation
OF defects and II becomes US to take note OF
them. -, , .,..-. L,,o
The praise which the English naval writer's nave nave
so generously bestowed upon our Navy has oeen
mingled with healthy intelligent criticism ana II
will be well for us II we heed it and look over the
events OF the war in search OF warnings and hints
for improvements We have much stlll 10 earn
ahout modern warships. They are as yet IN me
eXoerimental stage. Ny own idea is mat the naval @
Increase should be made by the ouilclng OF more
vesseIs NJ the New-York type and that greater
sneed and coal capacity must be secured even
+boueb N be necessary sacrifice some armor
tbickness in order secure them; our neeu OF
swift arrnored cruisers transcends otner ha'a'
needs. .,,,, rO r,r,y-rv
The present is a good time to press the neeas on
tho NAVY upon the country. which Will soon %
o1Iivering from end TO end with the emotions pro
duced by the reception OF the 9er1 Oh Mama -, Ho
extraordinary and widespread disposition 70 90
brn honor can scarcely be otherwise than pleasing
nun ~ n'cg ngicers ~ the Navy No could pos
slb,y have done more thoroughly thah Rg~ey maTs
.hor fg 10