Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-01-10
CRIT|C|S|NG THE NAVY
Warm Defense of Our Own Pres.
ent System of Construction.
GREAT VICTORIES RECALLED.
Paul Thieman Comments on Strange
Forsetfulness Of American Nays
Former Brilliant Achievements.
Claims Our Fleet Was Designed
With Reason For Every Detail.

1t is rather curious and queer that In
discussing the United States navy the
critics appear 10 forget that only three
naNies have decisive modern naval his.
tory. These are the American, British
and japanese navies, says Paul THE
man in the New York American. The
Japanese have whipped two adverse
rirs one was China. And the Chi
nese squadron really put up sitter
fight in the battle of the Yalu than the
Russians at Port Arthur or In the
straits Russia was VIGOROUSLY inetfi.
cicnt ut sea.
No navy. except the brief. concen-
tratcd experience of the Japanese, has
done any such amount of actual fight
ing. since the Napoleonc period, as the
navy of the United States. Since the
era of the battles of the Nile and
Trafalgar the British navy has used
its guns in battle only systematically
against foes of no consequence. But
subsequent TO their exploits on the
thea formidable north coast of Africa
and their victorious sea duels with the
British, American ships have cleared
for action and used their batteries on
many coasts.
The variety and weight of the per.
formances of the United States navy
IN the civil war-its many battles with
heavy shore fortifcations-are unparal-
lced. And ii is almost forgotten that
the United States Asatic squadron
landed on the Korean coast in the sew.
enties and chastised the Koreans, both
brilliantly and bloodily, for mistreat.
meut of shipwrecked American sailors.
The Koreans left 700 dead In the forts
stormed by our bluejackets and ma
rine infantry. 1t is almost forgotten
that one little American warship fought
and whipped Japan's entire early navy.
Upon the banners of the United States
marine corps are blaZoned the names
of desperate battles unknown to the
average young American today. Since
then came the masterful exploits OF
the Spanish war. No navy ever per.
formed with such absolute and su.
prcme mastery of the enemy as ours In
that war. There was never anything
like it,
Past glory and success do not, of
course. render innocuous any defects
and mistakes in the construction and
equipment of ships flying the flag to-
day. Still it may be suggested that
=
ences in our naval past which cannot
be ignored-which it would be folly to
neglect
The low freeboard of our battleships
is bitterly criticised 1t is plain enough
that shots passing over our low lying
ships would hit the high freeboard for.
eign type. 1t is plain. too. that fleet
actions will hardly ever take place In
a heavy sea. A high freebOard feet
would have the advantage in a high
sea. but under the usual conditions OF
fighting our low lying vessels would
have the best of it, and we trust ouI
commanders for that.
The question of the height of the
heavy armor belt above the load line
and its depth below not only has to dc
with guntire, but with torpedo attack.
Our direct ammunition shaft has ia
: do with the rapidity of firing.
1t is nrepOsterous to assume that the
American fleet has not been designed
with Il reason for every detail. Many
of the forms evolved were comprO
misses between the extreme views OF
navigation, ordnance, engineer and con.
struction officers. But, however they
were determined, there We're reasons
and behind these reasons were the ex
periences and results of a brilliant
! and victorious naval history which
, there is curious tendency to forget
, nnl kowtow to methods Of countries
with no naval annals.