New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-15
THE BRITISH NAVY.
ITS HISTORY FROM THE EARLIEST TO
THE PRESENT TIMES.

OUR NAVY FOR THOUSAND YEARS. A CON
which the British navy has been engaged from
the time Of RIng AfPed f9 ' RerdieyWilmot
r. n. Illustrated. i6mc. PIP. xviii SS5 Boston;
OUR FLEET TO-DAY AND IT'S DgyE LOB
MENT DURING THE LAST HALE cen
ismo. Do by xvi aP sas Illustrated Imported by
Charles scribner's Sons
These are times when navies and the recoros
Of naval achievements have a keen relish by
the active part which navies have taken within
the last few years in making history. popular
interest in what they and what they nave
done has been stimulated never before for
generation These two books deal with these
two questions relating TO the British navy.
They are based on expert technical knowledge
Captain Eardley-Wilmot. who wrote them poth'
speaks with authority and If he does not COM
mand a style of insnuating charm he at least
knows how 20 tell a plain tale directly and
comprehensively.
The British naval vessel of Alfred's time was
not far removed in general structure from the
galleys of the Romans. being practically row.
boat and provided with only one mast and sail
for with fair wind. BY the time of Ed
ward the Confessor the Cirque Ports hotilla
consisted Of ships of twenty tons burden. still
with mast only, which carried fighting
top singularIy like that in to-day These
craft had high bow and stern, where the fight
ing men were stationed in a kind OF castle. BY
the beginning OF the fifteenth century ships had
two masts and with the introduction of cannon
came & change of tactics that relegated board
ing and the hand-to-hand conflict to a subordi-
nate position. Henry VII built larger ship than
any England had seen; she carried cannon on
the upper deck. pointing over the sides or gun
walls'-whence the gunwales Of modern days
and had high prov and stern, survivals of the
old sea castles OF the galleys. which the
men at arms stood Not till Henry VIII built
the big four masted Henri Grace Dieu were
portfolios introduced and guns carried on two
decks. When James I king the topmast
first came into use, and the famous Prince Royal
was built, OF 1,400 tons burden, carrying sixty
four pieces Of great ordnance" and being
adorned with all manner of carving. painting
and gliding" After her the development Of ship
building was not significant till the great revo-
luton in the nineteenth century came about
IN his recital of Englands naval career there
can be doubt that Captain Eardley- Wilmot's
heart beats true to his country and TO the
vice 10 which he belongs. Few indeed the
shadows that dim the glory OF that victorious
history: they chiefly due TO the superior
force Of the enemy. and are swept aside with
few words. Thus. in the War Of 1912. "a series
OF victories they (the Americans) achieved in
single ship actions with cannot altogether
be attributed superiority in size Of vessel,
number Of guns or strength Of crew" One or
two Of them mentioned by name. So much
for the series; but the victory of the
Shannon over the Chesapeake needs two good
pages OF description. We hear nothing about
Perry on Lake Erie; only learn that the
British forces there were quite overmatched
and overcome by the superior equipment and
crews Of the American vessels and the valua-
bic fact is preserved that Captain James Yeo
who is believed 70 be otherwise unknown TO
fame on one occasion captured three schooners
and a considerable quantity Of stores at
Oswego.
On the whole. however. there is a great deal
Of serviceable and interesting information COM
pacted within the volume and If the author has
not departed violently from the traditions of
military history. that usually glory and
little else on one side. he has given an excellent
resume Of Englands naval conflicts.
In a sense the second book by Captain Eard-
ley-Wilmot is a sequel TO the other. 1t is re-
vised edition Of his Development OF Navies
During the Last Half Century, with the omis-
sion Of the chapters on foreign navies, TO make
room for England's last ten years Of progress
The half century OF which 1t treats has seen a
greater revolution in the building and fighting
Of battleships than the thousand years that pre-
coded. All the space Of this good sized book is
we'll utilized in presenting a record of it, At
least the first half Of this narrative is record
Of the stubborn opposition of the British Ad-
miralty TO applying results Of modern inventive
ness TO the benefit Of the navy. First it to
the use OF steam: then TO the use OF the screw
propeller: then TO the OF iron for ship con-
struction; then TO the use Of it for armor. Cap
tain Cowper-Coles tried to secure the adoption
Of the gun turret before Ericsson had put it on
the Monitor; but the Admiralty rejected that as
# has rejected every important improvement in
the service over which 1t presides until forced to
adopt II by the progress Of the world outside.
One Of the most interesting portions of the
book is the last chapter Lessons of Recent
Naval Wars" They do not seem TO be as i'm
portant as the occasions might have afforded
From Yaloo, Manila and Santiago the chief les
sons derived are the danger of inhammable wood
battleships; the value of rapid fire guns
especially in hurting fire producing projectiles
and the effective protection Of armor Though
torpedoes played no part in any of these battles
ut is evident that the universal custom Of Civ
ing small cruisers this weapon is not commenda-
Die. unless it is kept and discharged below the
waterlne." The gun retains its ascendancy fol
the same reason that caused it to supersede
earlier weapons-an effective radius OF actor
that rival approach. Finally Cap
tain EardIey-Wilmot re-echoes the common
eulogy Of the man behind the gun; the lessons
OF these two all prove that the bes,
weapons are Of little avail without well
trained and spirited personnel. combined with q
skilful direction"