The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-04-01
most thorough trials. proved herself ST

ccssful in every way.
CAPTAIN LOVES VIEWS.
The following is an extract from tsa
report of Captain John Lowe, United
States Navy:
"In obedience then to that part of
my orders requiring me to submit a
report OF my observations, l submit the
facts hereinbefore stated, and ] report
my belief that the Holland is q Success
full and veritablc Submarine Torpedo Boat,
capable of making a veritabie attack
upon an enemy unseen and undetectapie.
and that, therefore, she is an Engine OF
Warfare Of terrible potency wrich the
Government must necessarily ADOPT lhIo
its service.
Concerning the worse than wOl thlesS-
ness of the present above water Torpedo
system, its methods. theories and APP
piiances the need for a deliverance from
its absurdities and from the Fools Para
disc of its false security, and instead
thereof the absolute need of Il real tor
Dedo system such as the Submarine Sys-
TEN, have already reported under date
November II, 1895.
an addition, however, I would like to
give further reasons why Submarine
Service should at once re organized as
matter of public necessity ana Sc
curity.
l.,
ference. the time has not yet arrived for
nations to disarn; on the contrary. that
ration which is not ready to fight, tnat
ceases to study war: that ceases TO uSo
the most frightful warlike appliances
when war is made, has already placed 1t
self i'm "a position of lnferioritE ana
has ceased TO possess those valuable at
tributes which are well described in the
term Manhood Such a nation is already
in the position Of China, prey to the
weakest and the most rapicious, and
disturbance to all the rest of mankind
'lf. then, we propose to fight. we must
fight when We fight, with every fighting
appliance, and therefore, If there is
anything valuable in Submarine Torpedo
Warfare, we must not permit our hands
to be tied behind our backs by any Hague
Conference or pusla1linous humanitar-
ianism foTbidding su'h appliance.
WHAT WE MUST &c.
"Again conccding war to be possible,
consider where the United States is
weak and how to resist attack.
Let us not, octrich-like, hide our eyes
in the sand but if we see danger let
us look upon it.
1--WE have distant dependencies, the
Philippines, Hawaii and the like. VIII
an enemy seek to bring us to terms by
attacking these? Perhaps so. But If 50.
the move would be a weak one, exceed
ircly weak In fact we could afford
to offer these as 4 Ganbit, upon which
the enemy could waste its strength, while
we were developing counter moves.
..Let us not deceive ourselves. Any
powerful enemy would not play at war
after that fashion. They would strike US
in the vitals An eigllt-day dash across
the Atlantic would bring their ships to
Montauk Point, where they would en-
counter the American Fleet which being
destroyed by force Of numbers. the re-
mainder OF the enerlys ships could pass
on and anchor in Long Island Sound
in perfect security and very shortly
Long Island would become foreign
I possession.
DO not consider the scheme fanci-
full one, it is not original to my mind
So many have spoken of it, that am
satisfied II has been considered and di-
scsted in foreign councils and is part
ot their programme.
Our last Spanish War convinced nc
thar our own people were at that time
| awake to this fact. for we saw the Army
| diligently fortifyins against WEae-Sha n
! tom s!1iDs
..In our next war it won't be Phantom
| ships. fer there are at least two nations
which con do this thing single handed
I'VE need right off and right now 50
| Submarine Torpedo vessels in Long Island
Sound to preserve the peace ana 10 give
f! potency to our diplomacy
| .sThe French in this matter are mucn
more alive to ti.eir needs than we ware
| What we have left to IL private company
| the French have taken up as National
affair.
"I.eavins out the Gymnote, OF which I
know hut little, the French at the end
| of this year will have spent money and
produced vessels as follows:
Gustave Iede, .....-.............. sss6 Isl co
Morse, 100 .eo..o
Narval and class,r7 boats, ...... 100000
s1,462 664.O0
MISTAKES OF THE PLCNGLR.
| at so happens, however, that the Zede
lis only a partial success newspaper ac-
| counts to the contrary Notwithstanding,
| and the Morse still less so, while the
Narval and class will be abject failures
| because of the same mistake made IN
| our lPlunger a notable mis- take which ina
| Holland demonstrated in advance. ana
which mistake I understand is to be rec
| tilted.
| .All the mistakes which have befallsn
| the French will pass by our Govern
ment, Notwithstanding the fact that IN
| stead OF one and one-llalf million our
Government has not spent one cent, nor
| has it bestowed anything more than scant
J encoura cement upon the private company
which has spent large amounts of mon
ey
Besides the mistakes saved, very many
essential difficulties have been overcome
which. could not have been dreamed OF
at the outset, and as a consequence
the Holland people by means of the
| Holland are In possession of ripe expert
! ence which the Government should COS
css and no one else.
..Amoug the facts stated IN the first
! part OF my report, have described the
| frnlIand Torpedo station and sketched the
daily routine. might observe that this
4 is precisely what the Gose.nn ent would
! do did it possess Il station of the kind.
!! n lis also precisely THE routine to be
/ obs e-ved bva Torpedo Beat at sea. "
! ing In wait for an enemy. That is to say,
4 net, t.;,,