New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-03
VAR MORALS.
g.-orufon in NavaI ornaments
v.,- Points for a Peace Congress
London May ..

~ ..f- hearts II they GO HOl 11''- -A-S -
tha = .tsir confidence. They DUFF Out llis
y lH' org themselves WITHOUT hesi'a' lo'i-
ruin -. frankly that the big ships have nao
ne when asked how they can JUSTIFY
tl7- -,5ir1l-e az millions upon AoallHs AOl =
~ - machine shops, which are at tle
- +orpedoes. moving or slatioIsIS' 0iLsS
IT, s,rug their shoulders ana repeat 'iie
q 4,rr,uIa that the British Navy must
-. nest ships IN every Class so as 70 DC
any emergency. This argument Is lio0
&c when the big ships. WheIher oalt4e-
o'ao'ls-' --,,,sars have done nothing in the Pa
- +te torpedoes and floating mines every
enc al - the PetropavIovslk. with brave Ad-
.--s , ,f.karof. who was trying TO make some
= "a hest ship. went down from the impact
e,.,ing mine as quickly as cookie boat
- have sunk If hit by q cannon DaH from
- Nslson's ships at Trafalgar. the experts
as y 5fsnsved. FOR they could say that
- nrecautions had been. neglected men
r1.+suse was blown up I'm deep water WITH
--sr,ing AFTER the japanese admiral haG
p. s-+-en,elv cautious In exposing his big
- and had kept them out at sea as FAR as
.sls no examinations could be offered Of the
.-fling collapse Of one Of the most Costly ana
-..s.b1a war vessels. The experts are snenced
-, +bev are reminded Of the disproporuon De-
-. nssus and results The modern battle
.ss improved and strengthened during TWO
-.-.,tons Of naval designing. and represent
- +ha maximum Of steam engineering de-
-. strength and long range fire, is doomed if
/. happens to run up against torpedo Which
- .lfber been directed with deadly aim or has
-, cast adrift in the ocean current Possibly
4. war vessel with It's high power guns and
- q goes in q moment when attacked by
-..rre continuance as insignificant in cost as 1t
: so-niaable in destructive energy. The ex-
s,r4s know their public. They understand al
- how difficult il viii be in future to justify
i. expenditure Of f1.500000 on battleship
--ssn Il is liable to be destroyed by a torpedo
-Hirh costs few hundred pounds.
me rtratsg.sts Of the United Services are az
-. = explain. in the light Of recent events, the
rw 70 which battleships can be put in modern
vs-fare. They cannot have fighting on equal
..--ns unless they are matched against one an
.,spr IN the open sea: and when they are ex-
possd 70 the chances Of torpedo warfare and eN-
slo~,gs Of floating mines great battles for sea
sorer cannot be arranged with prudence or
-,anosuvring skill as in Nelson's time. Neither
ADMIRAL Togo nor admiral Nakaron was able
q hiring On q duel between battleships without
ssrribe risks and one was as peTplexed as the
,,bsr II irving TO find out what could be done
Win cogtlv mechanism which was vulnerable 10
,srBeao attack. The veterans OF the British
Nr1v admit that the helplessness Of the big ships
yin BE- increased IN a naval war between first
sisss European powers, for the submarine has
mt bssn used in the Far East, and 1t is likely TO
more The deadliest possible weapon OF marine
usrfsre Some Of the wisest among them do not
hesitate to say that an engagement between
English and Italian or French and German fleets
would be fought and won by the submarines and
TORPEDO destroyers. and that the battleships and
cruisers would have little TO do with determining
the rssuit They are not convinced by Captain
lIahanis contention in The Times that '"Togo's
battle heet mas never been ruffed By the very
respectable though numerically inferior, Rus
sian hotiiia: 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
Esz-" Without reference 70 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 Be out
q danger If the big vessels, they add, are too
vulnerable TO be exposed TO attack near the
shore, and If it be impossible 10 have battles on
even terms On the high seas. why build so many
q them. Would not a feet, they ask, be more
elective i it we're made up Of torpedo boats and
Email floating carriages for high power guns?
ne Admiralty experts are also constrained to
euneede that battleships IN the Russian-Jap-
anese war have not been effective in operations
against fortifcations. Port Arthur has been re-
paatedly bombarded. but the damage from long
range fire has been less serious than could have
nsen anticipated from the weight Of the Jap
anase batteries. The conclusion is forced upon
ne eeverest thinkers at the Admiralty that the
niggest gunE Of a modern feet are less formid-
abls against land batteries protected by banks Of
aaad thar the cannon Of Rodney's or Colling-
woods ships against the port fortihcations OF
hef 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 TIE risks Of mines in shallow water; and his
energies have been mainly employed IN closing
ne entrance 70 the harbor 80 that the Russian
lai9s would he bottled up and finally taken. after
z ana siege, II not destroyed by the enemy at
re last moment. The moral drawn by some Of
ne best strategists is that feet is at serious
l-saaFantsge IN operating against a well de-
-slaed port They contend that II the Japanese
elalFal with his early successes and superior
sisE, has not been able to destroy Port Ar
-1t ana the remnant OF the Russian feet II is
PROOF that the defensive resources on land
ave increased in modern times more rapidly
- me aggressive power Of battleships and
t-.seFs They have practical way Of stating
case They say that Portsmouth could be
ENDED By its land batteries and torpedo
"a against the combined Channel, reserve
-1eaiieFfanean squadrons. II this be true,
-. - can be made imDregnable against naval
VIII big guns and hundreds Of sub
- hsroors can be successfully defended
- lae most powerful fleets. The theories
- designers may have been punctured and
-. = ne bottom in the Northern Pacific. but
& aale1loe ls likely 10 become more scientific
- quence Of practical experience in Man
49,, economists in Parliament are already be-