The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-09-23
NAVAL trrWmNtN


.t.u f4frd n.ri Uf tH.f tn. ai ga.
IuitInr hri maaiI.fr ih.r nof.s.
.n uurnr ih. f.am .ur n..i vas
Ir Iecndtne, There vrr. nH enough
bfI.ts anoat ia rive ihr ofI..fs much
uf chance. aud. BE- may Boz atI.i 'he
. Veterans of ihe civil war service. thrn
pr, dominant boo ths navy d'd mot need
mote experience to make Thorn good
r.B fighters Moreover they had earned
much shore leave. Unfortunately how
ever the shore leave habit grew aud
spread until young fellows who needed
lnh the sea service they could get
! spent their time. generally with results.
w log-rollng for jobs ashore. Even
] cruises meant much harbor ana land
! duty. as old timers Of Honolulu we'll
remember Nothing was commoner,
also. than TO have war-ships locked
for long periods for slight repairs, thus
| giving officers shore duty with sea
[ credits; and the abuse became 50 great
as to attract the eye Of Congress. II
was even said, with what truth We do
not know, that machinery was pur-
! posely broken 50 as to force the ship
back to port
Honolulu once had "A fire object les
son as to the differing practices OF a
foreign navy and our own. II was
when the American cruiser Boston and
| the japanese cruiser Naniwa were In
port The officers of the Boston were
only on the ship when routine duty
compelled them to be and there were
neither boat nor shore drills, although
| there were some shore parades This
| was after the Stevens protectorate had
| lapsed and the camp on the old Ar
lingtun premises had been broken up.
! Receptions, dinners, luaus and drives
made up the round OF life of our naval
officers in Honolulu. On board the Jap
anese cruiser, however, life was a pro-
fessonal ordeal Some years after
wares II. |. II. Prince komatsu, who
had been a lieutenant on board the
Naniwa, said: II was never permitted
to go on shore but once, and that was
for an official call at the consulate. We
were always being drilled. Captain
Togo would not permit any form of
recreation aboard his ship. If officers
wanted to play any game the captain
advised them to fence or engage in
tactical debate; and If they wanted
current magazines or newspapers they
were told to read professional books.
j 4 request for shore leave for pleasure
was always denied and the officer was
ordered to take a boats crew outside
| the reef and practice with the two
Founders" That was the way to drill
naval officers and the Naniwa's COM
f pany showed the good results OF II the
next year at the battle of the Ialu and
in the Investment of Wei-hai-Wei.
Today the German navy is believed
} to lead in the severity of it's discipline
( and this fact has had it's influence, no
doubt on the policy of Secretary
D Moody And in not only discipline is
the German war marine highly ell
A cient. An Englshman, Mr.. Archibald
4 s Hurd is quoted as follows about
other characteristic features;
Mr.. Hurd speaks very highly con-
corning the efficiency of the fleet and
the inspiration which it receives from
= the Kaiser. During the visit of Prince
- Henry to Ireland, Mr.. Hurd had an OPP
d portuuity of seeing the German ships
e at sea He says that their color is the
- nearest approach to invisiblity which
t. ditions The painting Of the ships is
f provided for out Of the national funds
whereas in the British navy much OF
$ the expense falls upon the officers. One
$ feature of the German ships is that
- there is no wood to be holystoned, and
). no Hrassworlt to be polished by the
$ crews. From end to end of the ships
= there is no CLEAN from square inch
I Of 1r
@ weather decks are laid with "a light
# reddish colored cement, which can bt
: cleansed easily by the turning on of Il
d hose. The cement viii not splinter oil
h ignite under guntire, and nothing car
q look smarter than this hard and ever
: material. There are very few wooder
fittings, and though the insides of the
= cabins are made of wood, these coulc
= be cleared away in a few hours before
% going into action. The comfort of the
n crews is considered more than in Brit
~ ish ships The vessels are ventilated
d mechanically in hot weather and heat
10 ed in cold weather by pipes that run
q everywhere. There are baths for the
II officers and for the men numerous
.e hand basins with water laid on i'm com
10 Portable airy spaces. The food is good
In - ShIlllltu III 'N''lltlN hNtillAS anu -
= ample quantity. The men have "A diff
"a ferent diet every day, and enjoy thei
meals: nor do they need to supplement
their rations at the canteen out Of thei
own pockets.
In summary the German navy re
. veals some admirable points. 1t is
y" force whi2h is hampered by few ira
ditions. II exists with one object onl,
-, to fight and to win, 1t may be tina
a Il has glazing faults; we may be sur
that it is not perfect. It's seamanshi
,s certainly Is not yet as high as that q
an the British fleet, and probably. othe
ne holes could be picked in its training
ay but the fact remains that it is traine
at with serious purpose, that all smart
MS ness for mere smartness' sake is swel
ID. away, and among the sea f.Ices of I'll
,ol world II marks in several importar