Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-26

THE NEW AMERICAN NAVY By John D. Long,
Secretary OF the Navy 1897 1902 Illustrated
photographs. In two volumes. New York: The
Outlook Company.
Ex-Secretary Longs story of the navy.
which has been serially printed in recent
issues of the Outlook, has attracted ma
tional attention not only by reason Of his
position as an authoritative narrator, but
because of It's eminently readable and in
teresting qualities. The work of the navy
in 1898 undoubtedly went far to revive
popular interest in and admiration for that
branch of the national fighting force. 1t
proved Furthermore decisive turning point
in its history, for from the experiences of
that campaign have resulted radical
changes which mark the past five years
as epochaI. So much was printed about the
ships and the officers at the time of the
Spanish troubles that the public at large
formed almost an intimate personal ac-
quaintance with them. Thus Mr.. Longs
references are singularly effective, treating
as he does with a system of which the av-
erage reader knows the component parts
in detail.
But there is much that the public does
not know, save through such a source of
information. There were many facts con-
nected with the war with Spain, but more
especially with the preparations for that
war and with the slower processes of de-
velopment of the decade and half which
preceded 1t, which have never been fully
understood at large. OF course, there are
some facts of which Mr.. Long cannot with
propriety speak. For the government serv-
ice imposes obligations upon all of its
higher opponents to preserve a certain de-
gree of reticence upon certain topics.
Nevertheless, there is enough that Mr..
Long tell, and that he does tell in eff
fective style, to recommend this history of
the navy to the unfiagging attention of
the general reader.
Much of the space in the work Is de-
voted to a description of the hard, per-
sistent work by Secretaries Of the Navy,
by members Of Congress and by naval Off
GERS and seamen, during the last half dozen
presidential terms, to bring the American
navy up from the low state into which 1t
had been permitted to fall after the civil
war. The country had had so much of
strife that 1t was virtually impossible in
the seventies and difficult in the eighties to
arouse a public interest in this important
matter. The country did not appreciate
the fact that Northumberland navy. COM
pairing fav0rably with those of powers of
equal size and Importance. is one of the
surest of all guarantees of international
peace. Against the sentiment that the
navy should be maintained as a mere form
and not a substantial institution, ready
at few days notice to defend the ma
tional honor and to enforce the country's
x,
representative. modern organization strug-
gled with steady though slow success, un-
til the war with Spain found the govern
ment, IL not wholly prepared, at least far
better of than 1t would have been q dozen
years previous.
Naturally much Of the space in the two
volumes Is devoted to close and de-
tailed account of what was done by our
ships at Manila and In Cuban waters.
There is In these pages a touch of per-
sonal revelation which distinctly reinforces
the quality of the book with a suggestion
of disclosure. 1t is interesting to note the
hint here and there, modestly given, of the
large participation by the author in the
direction of the country's great fighting
machines. scattered all over the world, dur
ing those momentous weeks. Mr.. Long
does not hesitate to declare his sentiments
on the controversies which arose out of the
planning and the fighting. The deplorable
dispute over the battle of Santiago, In
which he took firm position in favor of
the late Rear Admiral Sampson, Is sketched
briefly in the body of the work while In
the appendix are given some Of the official
letters In that case, setting forth the posi-
ton both of Mr.. Long and Of President
Roosevelt.
Mr.. Long devotes a generous chapter to a
recital of some of the deeds of heroism In
the war. and another chapter. which con-
ciudes the book, on his personal reminis-
the Navy Department. His references to
others is always kindly and hearty
The numerous illustrations are of unusual
value. Mr.. Reuterdahrs drawings are
spirited and show the navy at its work in a
manner to recall the days of '9S, when war
pictures were greatly in vogue
FRENCH AND ENGLISH FURNITURE: Distinct
I've Styles and Periods Described and Illus
trated. BY Esther Singleton, author Of 1.-THE
Furniture Of Our Forefathers." Illustrated from