The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-09-20
NAVAL EFFICIENCY.

learning anu pTdctAcAlS lneI piOAeS-
sion. During the years our fleet was
in decadence there were not enough
billets afoat to give the officers much
of a chance. and, it may be added, the
veterans of the civil war service, then
predominant in the navy, did not need
more experience to make them good
sea-fghters. Moreover they had earned
much shore leave. Unfortunately, how
ever, the shore leave habit grew and
spread until young fellows who needed
all the sea service they could get,
spent their time. generally with results,
in log-rolling for jobs ashore. Even
cruises meant much harbor and 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 so great
as to attract the eye OF Congress. 1t
was even said, with what truth we do
not know, that machinery was pur-
posely broken so as to force the ship
back to port.
Honolulu once had a fine object les
son as to the differing practices of a
foreign navy and our own. 1t 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
lington 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 pro-
fessional ordeal Some years after
wares H. l. H. Prince Komatsu,. who
had been a lieutenant on board the
Naniwa, said: 81 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 a
tooticoI 3abo+a. ord - +baty ,.o,,ta5
current magazines or newspapers they
were told to read professional books
A 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
pany showed the good results of it the
next year at the battle of the Yalu and
in the investment of -hai-Wei.
Today the German navy is believed
60 lead in the severity of it's discipline
and this fact has had it's influence, no
doubt, on the policy of Secretary
Moody And in not only discipline isl
the German war marine highly eff
cient. An Englishman, Mr.. Archibald
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
Il ~ ofI ,r;,,
Henry to Ireland, Mr.. Hurd had an OPP
portunity of seeing the German ships
at sea. He says that their color is the
nearest approach to invisibility which
can be obtained under the usual con-
ditions The painting of the ships is
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 brasswork to be polished by the
crews. From end to end of the ships
there is no CLEAN from a square inch
of metalwork, brass, or steel. The
weather decks are laid with a light
reddish colored cement, which can be
cleansed easily by the turning on of a
hose. The cement will not splinter or
ignite under gunf1re, and nothing can
look smarter than this hard and even
material. There are very few wooden
fittings, and though the insides of the !
cabins are made of wood, these could |
be cleared away in a few hours before !
going into action. The comfort of the !
crews is considered more than in Brit
ish ships. The vessels are ventilated |
mechanically in hot weather and heat |
ed in cold weather by pipes that run
everywhere. There are baths for the
officers, and for the men numerous
hand-basins with water laid on in COM |
Portable airy spaces. The food is good, |
is supplied in excellent quality and in !
ample quantity. The men have a diff !
ferent diet every day, and enjoy their /
meals; nor do they need to supplement
their rations at the canteen out of their !
own pockets
In summary the German navy re-
veals some admirable points 1t is a !
force whi3h is hampered by few ira
dltions. 1t exists with one object only !
to fight and to win. It may be that |
it has glazing faults: we may be sure
that it is not perfect. It's seamanship
certainly is not yet as high as that of
the British fleet, and probably other