Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-02-29
LESSON OF THE PRESENT WAR
Brother of j. R. Kinbal1, of This City, Talks of
Value of Torpedo Boats.

W. w. KimbalI, L. S. ", brother Of
James Il. KimbaII, appeared in the
Daily Picayune, of New Orleans, Feb.
II:
There is absolutely nothing new
or surprising in the fact that a prop
erly handled and properly organized
torpedo boat fiotilla has again proved
the efficiency of that kind of service.
declared Capt. W. W. KimbaII, L. 5. ",
in discussing the fight at Port Arthur.
Capt. KimbaIl arrived here with his
family a few days age, and went 10
the st. Charles hotel. Yesterday he
entered upon his duties as the sue
cessor If Commander Wilson. of the
United States lighthouse district.
1t i only another acceptuation of
the fact that any navy which neglects
or starves its torpedo boat service
will find itself in bad way when the
proof of the efficiency comes. | have
always held that three fairly we'll
equipped torpedo boats could. on n
moonless night, in moderate weather,
account for the most powerful battle
ship in the world within the radius
of action Of the boats.
THE Japs are, perhaps. the best
torpedo boatmen in the world. and
they showed their quality as such at
Wei-Hai-Wei in the Japan-C hina war,
but aside from this they have common
sense organization and drill in their
torpedo boat fiotilla.
There has never been any proof of
efficiency of the American torpedo
boats. as far as ! know, for the rea-
son that there has not beer real
torpedo boat attack drill.
The commander of the Russian
feet at Port Arthur should not be
condemned tor lack of vigilance"
continued Capt. Kimball," for he couldl
never have prevented the japanese
torpedo boats from attacking his
squadron if he had 500 ships. Posi-
bly, he did not picket his vessels far
enough cut, but if he had the Japs
would have sneaked in, under cover
of darkness, and done precisely the
same thing. Ii is absolutely impossi-
Bile to prevent torpedo attack on a
moonless night in fair weather. The
loss of six torpedo boats is nothing if
one battleship can be sunk by their
]
IN disable ship of this character"
Capt. Kimball stated that the sue
ress of the japanese torpedo boats at
Port Arthur has shown the utility of
these vessels. He said they are in
and no nation can well do
without them. The United States
navy should have at least $50 to make
American naval power what it should
be. They can perform tremendous
good in any war, and on dark nights
4 skilled commander. like the Japs.
IAN destroy and disable almost any
feet, as no amount of vigilance can
prevent them from sneaking in and
planting few deadly torpedOes.
1T * palpable that the japanese
naval officers will avail themselves of
their superior torpedo strength in all
battles with Russia resumed the
I'm the open fights they will
prove valuable. and when the enemy's
ships are anchored, in either Chemul-
po or NlaGivostock. the Japs will send
heir torpedo boats in and accomplish
he same excellent work they did at
Port Arthur
Capt. Kimball j. a worlds acknowl-
dyed expert on torpedoes and tOrpe-
20 boats. He has made special and
careful study of this branch of the
service, and through his extraordinary
knowledge of the proper handling of
boats of such make he was placed in
command of the torpedo boat hotilla
during the war with Spain. He would
nave entered Santiago harbor and at
tempted the destruction of Cervera's
leet there by torpedoing the ships on
I dark night with the full sanction of
he late Admiral Sampson. had it not
been for the moral effect n failure
would have had on the crews of the
other American ships stationed there.
This was not done, because the sink
ng of three torpedo boats would have
produced the same feeling as if n sim
lar number of the large battleships
had been sunk.
~ an advocate for more torpedo
BOATS in the American navy. Capt.
iimball has won international fame
of opinion by him on
subjects of torpedo boats, torpedoes,
md also the,submarine torpedo boats,
generally have Il pronounced effect on
he worlds naval experts. who look
lpon his views a. being an unques-
ionable authority.
I'VE have about thirty torpedo
boats" continued the famous expert.
but we should have at least $50.
With our sea coast TO defend we need
hem. The fact that Spain failed TO
lake advantage of their utility and
also because the American officers
had no chance TO show the boats
worth. should not be taken 10 indi-
cate their inferiority. In that war no
real good opportunity presented itself
10 make use of them. but if we had
been able To bring them into actual
/ will guarantee the results
would have been productive of the
same satisfactory outcome as shown
On the Japs at Port Arthur.
1T is astonishing the amount OF
damage that can be pcrpetrated BY n