The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-08-13
AS to SUBMARINE Boats.

10 was thought in the coming naval
evolutons that the superiority of Ameri-
can submarine boats over the French
type would be demonstrated, but from
present appearances. owing to the recent
accident on the Holland which prevents
hei from taking part In the maneuvers
such q test will not take place. Naval
officers who believe in the submarine boat
as formidable weapon, are greatly in
terested in the result of the sham battle
last week off Hyeres on the French
Mediterranean coast, when the submarine
boats Zede and Cymote were sent out
from the harbor to attack the fleet repre-
senting the enemy. Travelling at a dis
tance of ten feet below the surface, they
reached the fleet and "torpedoed' three
battleships. the crews of which were I'M
aware of thu presence OF the submarines
until the torpedoing" was done.
This feat, in the opinion of naval ex-
perts favoring submarines, demonstrates
the Importance of considering them as
valuable adjuncts to the sea power of
any nation. France, the first country to
maintain this stand, leads the navies OF
the world in the number of her submarine
boats. NJ De Lannesan. who was Min
lister of Marine In the Waldeck- Rosseau
more formidable instrument of oom-
bat than the torpedo boat Before re-
signing office, he insisted that both from
the military and economic point of view,
the French naval forces should comprise
two kinds of submarine boats a small
size de tined for defensive action within
a limited distance of the short, and a
large size capable of carrying offensive
operations even as far as the enemy's
boats. He congratulated the French navy
as being the only one possessing con-
siderable number of submarine craft.
England. ever on the alert against her
hereditary enemy across the channel. was
not slow in reckoning with such con-
dition. and has now a small number OF
submarines in commission with ten addt-
tional ones in proce.s of construction, all
of the American type. Such distinguish
ed men In the American navy as Admiral
Dewey, Captain Wainwright and Captain
Sigsbse rishtly approve of submarine
boats for harbor defense. In discussing
this subject today, Captain Sigsbce, who
as Chief Intelligence Officer of the Navy,
and member Of the Board of Construc-
tion. is we'll informed in such matters,
declared himself as in the past In favor
of submarine boats. He was disposed to
dismiss the accident on the Holland as of
little consequence. arguing that too much
significance was given to the presence of
gasoline on such boats az a source of
constant menace to the safety of the
crews.
"There is a certain percentage Of dan
ger in all engines of war" argued the
CAPTAIN. land antagonism to submarines
based solely on the use Of gasoline in the
engines is too trivial an argument to be
discussed Vessels of this character, in
my opinion have not yet reached high
state of perfection, but they have pro-
crossed sufficiently to make them exceed
ingly dangerous to an enemy. Assurediy,
they have passed the experimental stage.
Naturally, the submarine boat Of say
FIVE years bence. will greatly excel the
one of today. but it must be considered
that the latter represents the best type
we are acquainted with at present. There
may be better boats invented, but they
are on paper, and we can only deal with
those in practical shape"
That the effective lcSs of submarine
boats would ever reduce the number of
battleships in the navy was ridiculed by
Captain Sigsbee.
"First and always. battleships." he
continued. They have the greatest Of
fensive power as well as the greatest de-
feneive power Nevertheless. subma-
rines could relieve the larger vessels In a
great measure as harbor defenses for the
Influence of an enemy contemplating at
tack on a port p1trolled by submarines
is tremendous. The moral effect of the
knowing that there is real danger that
can come at you at any time. which
you cannot fight effectively, is immense.
and such is the fear Inspired by the
presence of submarine boats
Admiral Dewey determined his attitude
IN the question in 1900 when he said to
the House Committee on Naval Affairs.
in speaking of submarine boats, ''lf they
had had two submarine boats in Manila.
/ could never have held 1t with, my
squadron. The moral effect to my mind
is Infinitely superior to mines or torpe-
does or anything of the kind. With two
of these in Galveston all the navies of the
world could not blockade that place"