New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-03
WAR MORALS.
....,lntion in NauaI 4rmaments-
= Paints for a Peace Congress.

i fbeIr hearts. u llis' - -. - -
Dc mo lis- ,,,er,-slres without hesitation
trutn s-.-l-fv that the big ships have had
me- a1i'"' -T-,er asked how they can justify
thaI 5f+,,-e of millions upon floating Tort
be eAl .-,i-a shops. which are at the
rssse' +,-,eaoas. moving or stationary they
nrc - rbeir shoulders and repeat the
On ''-' s,,,,Ia that the British Navy must
oll.. - SKINS in every class so as TO be
h's .,v emergency. This argument IS not
H-1. -. --beD the big ships. whether battle
o'I-- --,,ssars have done nothing in the Pa
SIDE -. .oroedoes and floating mines every
chg -, the PetropavIovsk. with brave Ao-
lAHs .r.t,sroef. who was trying 10 make some
Hl'-- =, hest ship. went down from the impact
s,,,irg mine as quickly as a cookie boat
= -. suuk II hit by cannon ball from
VIZ ,-slson,s ships at Trafalgar. the experts
5isr1sved for they could say that
Drecautions had been. neglected Wheh
tr7.+.,se was blown up On deep water with
-.--,ing after the japanese admiral hac
--t-ey,elv cautious IN exposing his big
and had kept them out at sea as tar as
-. no a1rlanations could be offered Of the
--,,-- collsnse Of one Of the most costly and
..tsoh1a war vessels. The experts are slenceo
-, nav arr. reminded OF the disproporuon De-
49,, means and results. The modern battle
IN, ,nproved and strengthened during two
.-.+tons Of naval designing. and represent
- the maximum Of steam engineering de-
..sivs strength and long range IRE is doomed II
i beosens 10 run up against torpedo Whicn
-, .tber been directed with deadly aim or mas
-, cast adrift IN the ocean current Possibly
\. var vessel with its high power guns and
.-,,,su has cost as much as 100000, and
-, 4. goes in q moment when attacked by
-. ,,rt7ivance as insign3icant in cost as IL
! e,--,isable In destructive energy The eL-
-, lno,v their public They understand al
..,sv how difficult il viii be in future TO JUSTIFY
=. srpendlture Of f1.500OO0 on a battleship
-asr 4 is liable 70 be destroyed by torpedo
vtirb costs few hundred pounds.
NJ. v+ratsgsets Of the United Services are az
- =, arnlain. in the light Of recent events. the
-s. "a which battleships can BE- put IN modern
vs-fare. They cannot have fighting on equal
s--ns unless they are matched against one an
s.srr m the open sea; and when they are eX-
ro-sd 70 the chances Of torpedo warfare and eN-
rlosoa OF floating mines great battles for sea
s0Eer cannot be arranged with prudence or
usupuvring skill as in Nelson's time. Neither
ADMIRAL Togo nor admiral Makaron was able
10 hiring On q duel between battleships without
ssrrible risks and one was as perplexed as the
oiher II trying 10 find out what could be done
win costly mechanism which was vulnerable 10
,o-naso attack. The veterans Of the British
Navy admit that the helplessness Of the big ships
viii be increased IN a naval war between first
class European powers. for the submarine has
not been used in the Far East and It is likely to
more The deadliest possible weapon OF marine
yrrfsrs. Some OF the visest among them do not
ant Frnf
Eprlish and Italian or French and German fleets
would Be fought and won by the submarines and
torpsso destroyers. and that the bartleships and
cruisers would have little to DO with determining
the rsrult. They are not convinced by Captain
ll.hnnis contention IN The Times that "Togo's
bst1e hest mas never been ruhied By the very
respectable though numerically inferior, Rus
sian fotiIia: and he has preserved his battle
SHIPS and with them the control OF the sea by
the very simple device Of keeping them out at
va" Without reference 10 the loss OF the
Estsuse they assert thet a fighting admiral
ought not 10 be employed in concealing his ships
n the reaches OF the sea where they VIII b out
q danger. If the big vessels. they add, are too
vulnerable 10 be exposed TO attack near the
shore, and Il It be impossible 20 have battles on
even terms on the high seas why build so many
q them. Would not a feet they ask, be more
elective Z Il we're made up Of torpedo boats and
Hnal floating carriages for high power guns?
ne Admiralty experts are also constrained to
coneede that battieships IN the Russian-Jap-
ansse war have not been effective in operations
against fortifcations. Port Arthur has been re-
paztedly bomharded. but the damage from long
range FIRE has been less serious than could have
been anticipated from the weight Of the Jap
enlse batteries. The conclusion is forced upon
ne eleVerest thinkers at the Admiralty that the
biggest guns Of a modern feet are less formid-
a1e against land batteries protected by banks Of
lana thar the cannon u ROdney's or CoIing-
woods ships against the port ordinations OF
ner cay. The japanese range has been long
because Admiral Togo was too cautious 70 ex-
pose his ships TO shell from the land batteries
lao ne risks II mines in shallow water; and his
energies have been mainly employed IL closing
ne entrance 70 the harbor so that the Russian
lai9s would be bottled up and finally taken. after
iAAa siege, If not destroyed by the enemy at
l-- iast moment. The moral drawn by some Of
.-s pest strategists is that feet is at serious
l''aafantsge IN operating against a well de-
.s-asa port They contend that II the japanese
~'lliIai with his early successes and superior
esF' has not been able to destroy Port Ar
mug ana the remnant OF the Russian feet. II is
---9- Nitr ueLeL-HlNe resources on lanQ
i increased nc modern tines more rapidly
- me aggressive power OF battleships and
-''sI@ They have a practical way Of stating
@ case. They say that Portsmouth could be
7.eaoed By It's land batteries and torpedo
-'.ila against the combined Channel. reserve
20 Mediterranean squadrons. II this be true.
s ear be made impregnable against naval
-1A WIN big guns and hundreds Of sub
-llles, nErbors eer IA e,,r,.sse,,r-- defended
's1 The most powerful fleets. The theories
SO designers may have been puuctured and
= ne bottom In the Northern Pacific but
lat defence Is likely to become more scientific
eaura -
- economists IN Parliament are already be-
s-llag b reason ai,oY+ ttt, go. 7rho,- a.