The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-13
4 FOREIGN EXPERT TALKS.
AMERICAN NAVY ATTR ACTING THE
WORLDS ATTENTION.
duct OF the War, and Studyfng
the Methods Which Led to the
Brilliant Victories Of the Navy.

WASHINGTON. March is.-Lieut. de
Farauond, of the French navy. recently
arrived here In company with the French
ambassador. Lieut.. DO Fararnaad had de
experience as a uava. observer. following
the japanese and Chinese vessels through
The China-Japanese war. and IS now coming
hare 10 study American naval methods
Speaking CT the American navy today.
Lieut. de Faranond said:
The American navy has attracted world
wide attention within the last year, ard
this Is leading European countries 10 send
naval attaches. to Washington. This viii
be the first time that the French govern
ment has had a naval attaehe al the en-
eassy. A German naval officer Is COM
ing 10 the German embassy. and other
countries viii doubtless follow in the same
line. Since the Spanisa-American war this
country affords splendid facilities for ma
val study. II was the first real les; OF
modern fighting vessels, and naval science
must draw its conclusions largely from
what the American navy accomplished DUR
ing the war with Spain. l think 1t is uni
versally conceded in Europe that the Amer
lean navy made a splendid record, not only
in general way, bat in technical matters
of naval detail. 1t demonstrated the ef-
feetiveness OF the rapid-iire gun Of medium
caiiber. rather than the larger guns 1t
seemed also TO show that the power Of the
navy is more in its weapons of attack and
offense. its capabiiity OF giving blows rather
than in its heavy armor or capaatiity of
resisting blows.
We in France were quite aware of the
growing power of the American navy. even
before the recent war. Our chief naval con-
structor, NJ. Berth, came To this country
prior 10 the war and made a tour OF your
deekyards, arsenals. etc. On his return he
made an official report, showing the great
ha al
structor had hrough; about particularly in
the arrangement of buikheads and distrihu-
ton of armor so as to protect vital points.
We also knew your American armar and
are using the Harveyizsd American pro-
cess. which has been found entirely salts
factory thus far
81. de Faramond says foreign naval OBJ
servers are not only interested in the re-
suits of the war, but are also observing the
large amount of naval construction now in
progress In the United States and the ma
val Improvement Ii involves. From Italian
naval statistics he shows that the United
States is today reckoned among the great
powers in point of warships under construc-
ton. This tonnage by countries is as fol-
lows: Great Britain. 153.1sa tons: United
States. 5s,425 tons. Japan. 1880 tons; Rus
STA, 29.o4o tons; France, 25.eSS tons: Ger
many. 1885 tons: Italy. 1872 tons
IAN interesting line of inquiry" said
Lieut.. de Faramond. is as to why you are
building SO many heavy ships. ironclads.
as we call them, as against the lighter.
swifter cruisers The ironclad Is essentially
home ship. and is not fitted, owing to her
bulk and lack OF coal capacity. for cross
irg the ocean or for long cruises. The
French navy has In commission fifteen
ironclads on the. Mediterranean and eight
IN the northern squadron. But those are
purely defense vessels, and never leave the
home ports. The performance of your bat
tleship Oregon, in running is.o0o miles
around South America, was remarkable for
that reason. and her present trip across the
Pacific is equally remarkable. But Judged
by the usual naval standards. an armored
cruiser would have beer much better equip
ped for these long voyages She has the
speed, the coal. and at the same time suf-
ficient armor TO make her defensive powers
almost equal to those of the ironclad."
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 80 torpedo
boats. some OF them very swift
Lieut. de Faramond says he thinks the
adoption of the water tube boilers in Amer
lean ships will I've further Improvement.
and will make them much more effective
for long cruising. This class Of boilers. he
says has been adopted by the British adj
msraity for the Powerful. Terrible and ships
Of that class. and quite generally by the
naval authorities OF France. Japan, Chile,
Argentine and Italy. NJ Viaud. naval
constructor of the French navy. is al pres
ent In Washington on an unofficial mis-
sion. and will confer with our naval con-
structors on this new method of boiler con-
struction.
Admiral Dewey Ia generally recognized
abroad as entitled 10 rank as one OF the
great naval commanders" said Lieut.. de
Fararnond. Such man does honor 20 the
naval fraternity The world over"