The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-17
Capt. Lowe Says the
Nation Needs so
Like 1t.
A FORMIDABLE ENGINE.
Present Torpedo Boat Sys-
tenn Declared Worse
Than Useless.

New York, Nov 16.-The official re-
ports on the Holland submarine boat
were made today. The report of John
Lowe, captain U. S. n, who was on
the Holland boat at the time of the
official test gives technical detail of
the principal circumstances which took
place within the boat, and then, in
part, says
Il report my belief that the Holland
is a success and a veritable submarine
torpedo boat, capable of making an at
tack upon an enemy unseen, and that,
therefore, she is an engine of war which
the government must necessarily adopt
into it's service.
Concerning the worse than worth
lessness of the present above water tor
pedo system, and the absolute need of
a real torpedo system such as the sub
marine system, l have already report
ed. In addition, l would like to give
further reasons why a submarine SER
vice should at once be organized as a
matter of public necessity and security.
We must concede that the time has not
yet arrived for nations to disarm. That
nation which is not ready to fight, that
like appliances when war is made, is
already in the position of China, prey
to the weakest and the most rapa
cious.
IF, then, we propose to fight, we
must fight with every fighting appli-
ance, and therefore, if there is any
thing valuable in submarine torpedo
warfare, we must not permit our hands
to be tied behind our backs by any
Hague conference or pusilanimous hui
manitarianism.
1--WE have distant dependencies, the
Philippines, Hawaii and the like. Will
an enemy seek to bring us to terms by
attacking there? We could afford to
offer these as a gambit upon which
the enemy could waste it's strength
while we were developing counter
moves. Any powerful enemy would
not play at war. They would strike
US in the vitals. An eight-day dash
across the Atlantic would bring their
ships to Montauk Point, where they
would encounter the American fleet
which being destroyed by force of num-
bers, they could pass on and anchor in
the sound in perfect security and short
ly Long Island would become a for
eign possession. So many have spoken
of this scheme that / am satisfied it
has been considered and digested in for
eign councils, and is part of their pro-
gram.
I'm our late Spanish war, we saw the
army diligently fortifying against
phantom ships. In our next war it
won't be phantom ships, for there are
at least two nations which can do this
thing single-handed. We need right
off so submarine torpedo vessels in Long
Island Sound, to preserve the peace and
to give potency to our diplomacy. The
French in this matter are much more
alive to their needs than are We What
we have left to private company the
French have taken upon them as a ma
tional affair. 1t seems to me quite a
necessity that this government should
not allow the skill and knowledge pos
sessed by the Holland people to pass
out of its own hands from native to
foreign lands, but should at once pur-
| chase the Holland and put the Holland
people under some ban whereby they
will be prevented from disclosing Sc
crets to the disadvantage of the United
States"