New-York tribune., 1905-08-20
THE PORTSMOUTH REVEL.
Fleets and Alliances TulnerabIe-
Sea Posrer Losing Its Magic.
Portsmoutn. August 1O.

~ acres with a wonderful mechanical plant, for
portsmouth is the greatest naval base in the
vorld where the largest battleshps and the
-,ost powerful cruisers can be constructed as
rsn as docked and repaired. and where every
thing required for The arming. provisioning and
.o,,ipnaent of feet be supplied This great
establishment for the creation and maintenance
:, the British navy has not interested the sight
,s.-s They have trooped in to see the French
,.ssels noored at the jetties though they
.-e IN home waters. and they have been Joined
:, hundreds Of mechanics and officials eager TO
As,a close view Of the strange craft. Both the
hs.leships and cruisers unlike English war
.s,ss OF corresponding classes In place OF
,,-,iral lines and light superstructures the
r-snch ships have curving sides. auarterdecks
=, swsv astern. and massive upper works. To
r,e1ish eyes they seem ;opheavy and less trim
.,s rorkmanlike than the ships OF the Channel
Gee; and the cruiser squadron; but the French
.vsI- architects have had their theory that
distance 10 gunfre would be increased if there
,,-. crr1ine sides of which shot might ricochet,
s,5 thev have chung 10 il persistently. The de-
growers are turtlebacks and the armored cruis-
.-s with high superstructures and projecting
s,,s ere cut away behind close to the water.
The hsttleships have double tops and circular
so-f-esses in their upper works. and their quar-
,srdecks are low; and the coast defence ships
have similar lines and characteristics The
r-snrh ships are opened freely 70 public inspec-
,ion and nc precautions are taken against pry-
inr ewes Even outspoken criticism of designs
.n5 details Of construction is not resented. for
with the high tide Of optimism steadily rising on
each side Of the Channel it is confidently as
srr7ed that neither feet will be called upon to
attack the other during the next half-century.
.ha 1f-a and
IN which the French navy has been constructed.
:, remains true that a hattleship like the
Msssenn and a cruiser like the Gembetta are
vulnerable as well as formidable. In this re-
sneet thev 60 not differ from vessels Of their
own class in other navies. One shot from one
of heir most powerful guns may have the con-
cent-eted efficiency OF an entire broadside from
the Victory as It was in Nelson's day: but the
complexity of the mechanism is g of
inherent weakness. whatever may be the range
Of the guns or the magnitude Of fighting power.
The floating fortress has many fifty or
more auxiliary engines and everything from
the steering 70 the firing Of the guns is done
with the aid ef hydraulic steam or electric
mechanism. Modern engineering is shown al
SIS highest level Of ingenuity and efficiency
when one is conducted over a battleship by
intelligent guide and all the arrangements for
communicating orders manRuvring the ship
snd regulating the firing Of the guns
planned in detail; yet the conviction is deepened
that, even with maximum degree OF discipline
training and scientific organization, mechanism
so delicate and intricate will inevitably get out
Of hand and break down in the shock of bat
tie.
The modern sailor cannot have the oldtime
tsrs confidence In his ship. Between gunf.re
denned 70 fight on q sleeping volcano. Per-
haps II IS for this reason that he enjoys such
fetez of good feeling as have been witnessed
e; Brest at Portsmouth. Whether he wears
the French the British uniform he prefers
TO romp and fraternize with the jolly tars of
e rival feet rather than to contemplate the
appalling chances Of modern naval warfare.
Alliances are as uncertain as the modern fleets
The secret coalition between Russia and France
served a counterpoise to the Triple Alliance
during long period of peace. 1t enabled the
Russians TO float loan after loan in Paris and
the French 10 regain their prestige in Europe.
As soon as the emergency OF war arose in the
Far East, the alliance became a source of weak
ness Is well as strength. 1t exposed both Cher
bourg and Cronstadt TO bonbardment from
British fleets II was like one OF these floating
forTssses in the doclxyards or off Portsmouth
Hsrbor. with magazines filled with explosive
var material and with engine space stocked
with complex and delicate machinery-liable TO
break down at any moment. II the coalition
between autocracy and republican France were
of little value TO Russia in the crisis Of it's
fortunes. so also the alliance between Japan and
England source of danger in Western
Europe and virtually imperative in the Far
East. France and England, warned that their
engagements with Russia and Japan threatened
to involve them in war, took every precaution
for averting the catastrophe. The situation was
saved, not by alliances fraught with danger but
by the exhibition of neighborly feeling when the
King visited Paris and President Loubet re-
turned the compliment by accepting English
hospitality, ard when the fleets fraternized at
Brest and Portsmouth,. Neither the Russian
French nor the Ango-Jspanese alliance has
ssen effective IN promoting the restoration
q peace the American Presidents disinter-
ested good win in bringing representatives Of
the beiligerent powers together around small
table. n peace he made across the Atlantic the
great question Of the mastery Of the Pacific will
be settled and safeguards for the worlds COM
merce established by the action of the British
government. supported. as it is likely TO he by
France and America. The weight Of the Triple
Alliance viii not be felt in these supreme trans
actions for bringing disastrous war TO an end
arc Tor providing new balance OF power in the
fsr East. The cooperation Of friendly powers
america. England and France-which are not
oound together by formal alliances is OF the
highest Importance in effecting these momentous
vsgts
sach scenes have been witnessed to-day
q ne dockyards and recreation grounds of
TNsmouth not without historic signih-
eShoe. The fleets within and outside the harbor
are as strong as modern science can make them:
Dat ever with the thickest arnor and the most
formidable guns the resources for self-destruc-