The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-11
MAKING D DAIE
Review of Developments Since
the Spanish War.
REAL STRENGTH OF A NAVY
Is Its BattIesbips--Germany
Intends to be First

Washington, Feb. 9.-The Navy Annua
just issued from the office of naval in.
telligence, is of exceptional interest ana
breadth of scope The leading feature
is an article entitled Recent Tendencies
Of Foreign Naval Development and the
Effect Thereon Of the Recent War With
Spain" by Lieutenant Commander
George H. Peters. This article presents
in succinct shape many of the lessons
taught by the Spanish war and utilized
Before beginning with the statement
that the most striking feature of the
marked effort now being made by the
! important maritime powers to increase
| their naval strength, the article points
| out that one result of the Spanish war
was to demonstrate beyond further argu-
ment that battleships constitute the real
| fighting strength of a navy, even in
France, which has Ions chung to the ar
mored cruiser. Arnored coast defence
vessels have been practically ignored in
new construction. While the war threw
no new light on the value Of torpedo
boats, attention was freshly directed to
their vulnerability, and Germany has
abandoned the building of any more
small boats. Still, if some weight is at
tached to the moral effects of torpedo
boats and their use in training young
officers. Another war lesson was that
the big guns on board ship are second
airy hereafter, and dependence must b.
placed upon a primary battery Of rapid
fire guns of modern calibre. Already the
German navy has reduced the cllibre Of
its heaviest guns to 9.45.
Above-water torpedo tn! es have been
abandoned, and while some underwater
tubes are retained the tendency is t.
ward clearing a battIeship completely OF
these devices.
Armor must be widely distributed, and
not restricted to the water-lIne and gun
positions. Foreign navies are securing
the very best armor, regardless of cost.
There is a universal effort to abolish
wood and combustibles from naval YES
sells. Canvas boats are to be tested
Water tube boilers are now beyond dis
cUssion for naval use and the only ques-
ton open is that of type. Torpedo nets
have been abandoned. Tremendous efforts /
are making in foreign navies to improve
gun practice and in Genmary the ships !
go to sea every day for target practice !
on the reserve ships, while the British (
navy has largely increased its allowance !
of ammunition for prize-fring. Foreign /
opinion criticises gun pointers as showing /
much room for Improvement, based on /
their performance at Manila and Santi- +
ago. Commander Peters, however, COM /
ments that never before have fleets been /
so utterly destroyed through gun fire.
A comprehensive idea Of the tremend- /
Gus naval program of the German empire /
IS afforded by an article contributed by
Lieutenant E. w. Kittelle entitled 1.-The
Creation and Maintenance of a German
Battle Fleet" He gives from German
authorities in great detail all of the ar
gument which leads to the government
demand that the navy be increased, over
and above the present building program,
oy ffty-seven battleships, fifteen large
cruisers apd thirty-six small cruisers, TO
cost l. 200, 900, 600 marks.
He quotes German technical papers as
saying that the government has eliminat-
ID the continental powers in calculations
BASED on the attitude of foreign countries
oward the German increase The dis
,ussion IS said to have narrowed down to
Great Britain, Japan and the United
states, and one paper holds that England
md the United States will soon be check
d in the increase of their navies by the
question Of manning ships and Japan by
he question of money. so that Germany
Will be in a position to cope with them
or collectively
Lieutenant Commander William II.
briggs furnishes an article on "Ordnance !
md Armor" in which he draws many
Useful conclusions from a comparison Of
ne Spanish and American ships during
he late war Contrary to some ether
writer's, he insists that the Spanish com
handlers Of the torpedo boat destroyers
acked neither dash nor discretion. He
Olds that the boats failed to do damage
wing to their inability to run through !
he American gun fire. Commander
briggs says battleship easily can take
are Of two such boats on each beam in '
lear weather. He takes vigorous issue
With the continental writer's who have he I
titled the style OF the American gun /
ers. disagreeing with their statement
hat the percentage of hits was only be-
ween three and four, but insisting that
ven so. that was all that was needed
his officer attaches great value 10 the
utomatic pistol which has been adopted
y Germany and Italy in the army and
avy, and he supplies full description
T the details Of the weapon which fires
en- bullets by one depression Of the trfr-
er Theorite IS said to have given the
lost promising results OF all the high
Explosives already tested 4 I0-inch shcp
aided with jovite IS said 20 have been
red through 1rz-inch face-hardened
late Of nicSle steel and then exploded
y fuse in the rear Notwithstanding
MS feat, black powder Is stir held 10 bz
be best explosive for bursting shells.
ur naval s1nokeless powder is hell % b
1perior 10 the British c3rdite. rs dem
astrated By a trial made by the New :
rleans' guns. Little progress has been i
.ade in the Improvement or arnor. the Il
ears trials simply further esta bllsh!nz o
he superiority Of the Krupp armor.
CASTOEr p