The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-22

United States COnstructors NJ.
Afraid of Departures When Tba
Is Anything to Be Gained-Or-
hcers Have Great Tecbntc,I
knowledge, Perhaps a TrfGe Too
Much
WASHINGTON, May 21.-Capt Won
Reuber Pachwitz, naval attacbe IF +ho
herman embassy talked interestingly TO-
uay as 10 his observations of the Ameri-
Gan navy covering not only the war
PERIOD out an inspection of our sbins
varos and naval methods during and
since the war. This officer made such .
favorable report to the German admiral
ty concerning the consideration sbou,r
MIN In American naval circles that g.
brought strong letter of thanks from
the minister of marine of Germanv to
Secretary Long and to some extent offset
the tension arising over alleged differ
ences between the American and German
naval officers in the Philippines.
Speaking Of the technical construction
of American ships Capt Won Reuben
HachWitz said:
@'NNASSeNDAC
lean naval constructors and shipbuiId-
ers show the characteristic energy of
Americans in wishing to find something
new. While the American ships ara
built on the same general lines as tho
German and English shios yet they show
a tendency to try new ideas; to expert
ment on details. For instance, the am
munition hoists are admirable cOntrf-
yanCes. The ammunition is served
through one central chamber and Is de-
livered Immediately back of the gun
ready to be placed in the breceh and
fired. This is so obviously the right
thing and so practical in the rush and
confusion of action that all navies fol-
lowed the lead of your naval construc-
tors when they first adopted this method
of getting the ammunition TO the gun.
There are many of these small points
which appeal to the naval observer and
altogether are developing and perfectlng
the ideal nghting vessel
Asked how the personnel OF our navy
compared with that of other navies. he
replied:
TOO MUCH TECHNIQUE.
1.-The American naval officers have
much technical knowledge, perhaps more
than German officers, but 1t Is a ques-
ton whether technical knowledge cannot
be carried too far, to the exclusion OF
those larger subjects of strategy. torpedo
maneuvering, etc. 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 steam
engineers. That is carrying the technical
knowledge very far, and will put such
great affairs On your officers that The re-
suit will be awaited by students of naval
affairs. When officers are compelled to
master such mass Of detail they have
scant time for considering the larger
questions of attack and defense and tho
real science of warfare. They becoro
too mechanical The great naval COM
manders are not merely engineers, but
men of intellectual attachments, thor
ough statesmen, as we'll as with tech
nical knowledge of ropes and iron"
Referring to the alleged frictioa IN tha
Philippines the captain said
u have never vet heard from any Ger
man officer a word of ill-feeling over af-
fairs at Manila. While at home recently
l met number of our ofhcers who were
just out from the Philippines and who
had been stationed our ships through
out the war. They spoke of the fraterniz-
ing of your sailors and ours. There is
net the slightest feeling, 1 can assure
you, among German naval officers to-
wards their brother officers on this side.
Personally, I look upon Dewey as a fins
type of the sailor gentleman, quiet and
modest, but with plenty of energy, and L
wish we could make your people under
stand that we look upon Admiral Won
Diedrichs In much the same way, not in
the way he has been reported in this
country, but as, the quiet sailor and tho
last man in the world to give needless
offense and as a perfect type of a gentle
man a1oat 1t is to be regretted that
exaggeration has created some ill-feeI-
ing, and I know that German officers do
not share it and would be glad TO see
1t disappear"