The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-05-12
AS OTHERS SEES US.

to each other; but when they fall our.
then justice gets her due. The things
both have believed in secret are
shouted from the housetops and there
is a complete REIMBURSEMENT OF personal
thunderstorms that clear the air; they
are also the searchers of conscience,
the regulators of self-esteem, the
destroyers of illusions After a quar-
rel with an old acquaintance one is
pretty apt to know where he has been
standing all along with those who best
know him, and he gets a strong
.'hunch" from himself to mend his
breaks and strengthen his vulnerable
spots
Herein are the advantages of the
little tiff with Germany that followed
the criticisms made by Admiral Dewey
of the Kaiser's feet. Before that our
German friends We're nothing if not
smooth-spoken. When the Kaiser
boarded the cruiser New York at KieIi
he was apparently lost in wonder, love
and praise He and Bob Evans
formed a mutual admiration society.
His Majesty thought so much Of US
that ne had his private yacht built in
New York and he named naval dis
patch boat Alice Roosevelt" One of
his marks of esteem took the form of
the gift of a statue of Frederick the
Great And ali the while the German
official press was sounding the praises
of the great republic beyond the seas.
But circumstances have altered. Since
Admiral Dewey talked, German officials
have let their candor escape its diplo-
matte leash, and we have sample Of [
what Germans actually think aboEt
America and its navy. 1t comes in the
form of letter to the Berliner Tage- ,
blatt from the distinguished German
naval expert, Count Reventlow. as fol-
lows:
The republics feet included but six ;.
battle-ships of various and partly an
fIquated types The United states
navy moreover. does not include one 4
genuinely modern armored cruiser. Our L
first squadron, kept constantly IN SER e.
vice, which is homogeneous and in a
high state of efficiency, would be in
superior to this improvised II
combination OF Dewey $. s.
The lesson is therefore impressive. n
but In a sense contrary to that which
Admiral Dewey would have accepted.
The naval eVoIutions of the AIocrTan
ships are still OF the kindergarten kin't il
Tiny usually eni in We .,
tory for HI, I'm, RIO ~ side and in the
of the wicked enemy, the -
object being TO win encomiums for the g
American armada and its command is
I IN Il
vinced thar tha United States navy
has a great future before 1t, but mean g
while there is no occasion = regard ii
as superior and awe-inspiring force OF
The personal aspect of the problem
Is glanced at by the count in man
ner equally unfiattering to American
self-es;ecm. He finds that crews Of q
United States war-ships are apt to =.
iesert in a body. When the food fails
% please one of these free MAJ or the =,
service Is unsatisfactory he takes leave, l.
never to be seen again. =,
The extraordinary inferiority'' OF u,
is also characteristic =,
II our gunnery. IF it sufficed to an
lfhiIate the Spanish fleet, that merely :
showed the striking inferiority Of the
after and the prodigal use of ammun7 :,
ton aboard the American ships" To- N
lay the United States can not find fr
,fficers and men enough for its navy. m
Ana this is the summing up; OF
Nobody will seriously deny that Am
.rica commands the first place in The
ield of brag, and that Admiral Dewey w
Toes not belle this distinction. Whether til
Vff1f l.
n the first rank will be enhanced by
giving publicity to opinions. that do -
rot correspond to the facts may be X
ioubted At any rate he has acquiredI in
|, new standing by this means Let as D
nope that one result viii be the eEu- -
ng OF presents and invitations for the -
uture. 1t occurs to me, finally, thai a lis
in the German navy II
pears the name of the daughter OF the IA
President OF the United states!
So here we have the candid German n
expert view: Our navy counts upon in
,one battIeships that are growing out in
IF date; our heet-maneuvering is
.hnd's play; our seamen cannot be
depended on to serve any longer than 70
hey please; our naval craftsmanship c.
s poor: our navy is not yet an awe A
IOrce. II OuSHt ~ No <>iii-' e
cans good to hear all this so thai Z n,
they are living in FOOLS paradise, N
they can get out of it in time. The y,
German criticism viii be met by a,
very necessary inquiry as to how true 10
he charges are; and il this inquiry de- b,
velops grave defects in the structure, =,
personnel or general efficiency Of the 90
American war marine. then thanks =.
rather than Indignation should reward =,
the critic. We want to know where :.
we are and hostile comment goes far ;,
TO show US. :,