The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-09-21
FIRST IN SUBMARINES
France Leads the World With
The Number in its Navy.
SAILORS RUN MANY RISKS

eSSary to secure CTeWS-heC'u't u't-
ing in the Beginning Easy, as
Rules Were Not as Higid as for
the Ordinary Seamen.
The recent catastrophe of the Farfa-
det, while it has profoundly touched the
world, has had the effect of even
strengthening the new French school OF
submarine enthusiasts.
Ever since Admiral Aube, when min
lister of the navy, began the transfor-
nation of the marine by investing with
importance its submarine units, the
hostility of the old school has been con-
stant and uncOnquerable. During 10
years of experimental work no accident
occurred to justify their apprehensions,
and even the disaster in the recent BIZ
zerta lake has not given them the
moral force which they reckoned on.
The action of NJ. Thomson, the present
minister of marine, in descending in
the Korrigan, three days after the Far
fadet accident, accompanied by various
French naval dignitaries, has wonder
fully restored public confidence and has
given an implied rebuke to the "old
navy" party. Moreover, the naval
events of the Russo-Japanese war have
shown the utility of various forms of
the mosquito fleet, even If the war has
also demonstrated the indispensability
of the batleship of many thousands OF
tons.
France possesses 40 Of these vessels
in active service or in process of con-
struction, with a united crew of about
600 officers, engineers and seamen.
Great Britain has five submarines OF
120 tons, thirteen of from 1S0 to 200
tons. and one of 800 tons. Twenty-one
more, each of 300 tons, are being con-
structed. Russia owns about 81 not all
of which are completed. Germany, al
though processing to take no interest
in submersible craft, is known to be
experimenting in secret with three diff
ferent types The United States has
eight submarines, Japan six; Spain, In
the projected reconstruction OF her
navy, expects to have several.
II will thus be seen that France is at
the head of the world with respect to
her submarine power and she proposes
to retain this prestige Nevertheless
serious danger has for some time past
threatened this position. This has been
caused of the lack of sufficient crews.
the seamen, with good reason, having
shown an unwillingness to enter that
kind of service unless practically forced
to do so. Recruiting was at first COM
| paratively easy task, because advan-
tages were offered that made it worth
while to take on the difficulties and
dangers of the work. But toward the
end of his term of Office M. Pelletan,
late minister of the navy issued a de-
cree practically suppressing all these
advantages. Prior TO the decree crews
on submarines enjoyed special privi-
leges as regards pay and promotion.
In the United States, each man re-
ceives 81 extra pay for each descent In
Great Britain such crews receive regu-
larly double pay. In France supple
mentary pay varying from 20 to 10 per
cent was accorded. AS detail, it may
be added that ration of milk of the
value of cents a day had been pre-
scribed by naval doctors for all men
engaged upon the electric accumulators
in order to counteract the effects of
lead collie. In general, food was OF bet
ter quality ON submarines and vaCa-
tions longer; and the men were treated
not like ordinary seamen, but with the
consideration due to pioneers in new
country.
NJ Pelletan, finding something wrong
With this system of things, and believ-
ing that 1t tended to hinder rather than
develop the new style of craft, brusque-
ly did away with it in a single fort
night; and therefore there was no long
er any attraction to seamen to take up
the service. One can scarcely blame
them, for, besides the danger in incom-
plete understanding of the novel form
of craft, there was the inconvenience
of being often shut up for hours in a
limited space, breathing destructive
acids.
Admiral Fournier and Admiral Ger
vais, two of the most disting uished and
trusted officers of the navy, believe not
only that, as Lord Goschen said in
1900, the submarine is 'the arm of the
poor power" but that it can save the
big powers millions year. Moreover,
If the small powers place orders in the
dockyards Of the world, the big powers
must do likewise in proper proportion.