The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-10
NAVAL ANNUAL 8 FEATURES.
c,sc1ssIoys OF THE LESSONS OF
THE LATE WAR.
nsttIeships the Real Fighting Force
NJ n Navy-Amerfcan Gunners De-
tended From Foreign Critics

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.--The naval an
..ai inst issued from the office of naval
E,efIirence, is of exceptional interest and
s.saath Of scope. The leading feature is
- article entitled Recent Tendencies of
Torsizn Naval Development and the Ell
49, Thereon of the Recent War With
snain" By Lieut. Commander Peters.
Shss article presents in succinct shape
sanv OF the lessons taught by the Spanish
ar and utilized by the nayies Of foreign
pe~fnning with the statement that the
snoet striking feature is the marked effort
low being made by the important mari
ema powers 10 increase their naval
etrength, the article points out that one
,,stit OF the Spanish war was to demon
sfrate beyond further argument that bat
fIeshlps constitute the real nghting
strength OF a navy. even in France.
ehich has long chung to the armored
cruiser.
Armored coast defense vessels have
been practically ignored In new construc-
ticn. While the war threw no new light
an the value of torpedo boats, attention
vrs freshly directed 10 their vulnerable
nv. and Germany has abandoned the
huildng OF any more small boats. Still
Some weight IS attached to the moral ef-
feet of torpedo boats and their use in
training young officers.
Another war lesson was that the big
guns on board ship are secondary here
after and dependence must be placed
upon primary battery OF rapid-fre guns
Of moderate caiiber.
Already the German navy has reduced
the caliber OF its heaviest guns to s.45.
Aboye-water torpedo tubes have been
abandoned. and while some underwater
tubes are retained. the tendency is to-
ward clearing a battleship completely of
thcse devices.
Armof must be widely distributed, ana
not restricted TO the water line and gun
positions. Foreign navies are securing
the very best armor. regardless OF cost.
TAere h . universal effort TO abolish wood
and combustibles from naval vessels.
Canvas boats are to he tested Water
tube boilers are now beyond discussion
for naval use. and tho only question open
II that OF type. Torpedo nets have been
abandoned. Tremendous efforts are max
Ing in foreign navies to improve gun prac-
tice, and In Germany the ships go to sea
every day for target practice. even re-
serve ships, while the British navy has
largely increased its allowance Of ammuni-
ton for practice firing.
Foreign opinion crtticises American gun
pointers AZ showing much room for inn
provement, based on their performance at
Manila and Santiago. Commander Peters,
however. comments that never before
have neets been so utterly destroyed
through gun fire
Germany's Naval Programmes.
comprehensive idea OF the tremendous
naval programme OF the German empire
Il Afforded by an article contributed by
Lieut. II. W. Kittle. entitled The Creation
and Maintenance OF German Battle Fleet"
He gives from German authority in great
detGl all OF the arguments which leads to
the governments demand that the navy
10 Increased, over and above the present
building programme. BY fifty-seven battle
ships. fifteen large cruisers and thirty-six
mail cruisers. to cost !. 700 600 80 marks.
He quotes German technical papers as
saying that tho government has eliminated
The continental powers on calculations
bsse6 on the attitude OF foreign countries
toward tho German increase. The discus
zion Is said to have narrowed down to
Gwat Britain. Japan and the United
eiates. and one paper holds that England
and the United States win soon be check
VI IN the Increase In their navies by the
question OF money, so that Germany win
h IN = position TO cope with them sever
ally or collectively.
Ordnance amd Armor.
Lieut. Commander william III. briggs
furnishes an article ON ordnance and ar
NOR, In which he draws many useful con-
tlusions from a comparison Of the Span
ish and American ships during the late
war. Contrary 20 some other writer's. he
insists that tho Spanish commanders OF
the torrsdo boat destroyers lacked neither
dash nor discretion. He holds that the
boats failed 10 do damage owing to their
Inability TO run through the American
run IRE Commander briggs says "A bat
tsshp can easily take care of two such
boats on each beam in clear weather. He
lakes vigorous tissue with the continental
writer's who have belittled the style of
me American sunners, disagrecing with
'heir statement that the pcrnsntaGe 81
hits was only between three and four, but
insisting that even SO, that wns an that
was needed This officer attaches great
value TO tho automatic pistol. which has
been adopted by Germany and Italy in
The army and navy, and hs supplies a
ful description OF the details OF the weap-
on, which fires ten bullets hy one de-
preston Of the trigger.
Thorite the Hest Explosive.
Thon,e IL said to have given the most
promising results OF all the high exploz-
Ives already tested. A trn-ineh she'll
hAtsd with jovitc 10 said 70 have been
nred Through a fourteen and one-hsif-
inch face-hardened plate Of nickeliea steel
snd taon exploded by q fuse IN the rear
observation-disclosures AAfH wat kAaCk foNN1f
still held % be the hest explosive Tor
bursting shsus our naval smakeicss Is
SAID TO be superior 10 the British cor,iite.
asinvnstrayed ~ trial made hS the
New Orleans guns
l%tte progress has been made In the
Improvement ~ armor, the years trials
s'aaf further establishing the superior
NY 81 the Krupp armur
n a I