Evening star., 1938-05-22
Bv Claude WefmOre.

- IGHT of a battleship causes an
old-timer to wonder what plight
might have befallen the United
~ States during the 70s and 80s
had a crisis arisen involving strong
naval power History may be repeat
ing itself. The dreadnaughts of to-
day may become powerless against
the floating fortresses of the near
future. This is a subject which war
rants serious thought and study,
especially by those who oppose ade-
quate maritime armament.
In 1876 a boat, conveying several
doubling Thomases. was rowed over
the placid waters of Callao Bay to
where Her Majesty's Ship Triumph
rode at anchor. The visitors touched
the sides of the vessel. Yes. it is
iron," they agreed, and forthwith
wager was settled and money paid to
a young man living in Callao, who
had bet the ship built Of iron could
float, by a young man Of Lima. who
had held the opposite opinion. A few
months later another ironclad came
to Csllao. the German Hansa. and
then it became current comment that
several European nations were build
ing new navies and using iron plates
too early then for steel-instead OF
wood
Soon Peru had men-of-war of the
new construction, and so had Chile
ships built in England. They put up
a stiff fight in 1879 when the two
South American republics were at
war.
While these happenings spurred
wide-awake nations to make use OF
improved naval construction. the
United States slept. enjoying dreams
Of the Constitution, the Essex, and
the Hartford and what had been
done by them. So Indifferent to sea-
power were we that when a member
of the Congress from district bor-
dering upon the ocean gave voice
to a plea for better Navy he was
derided by Representatives OF practl-
cally all interior States.
60 we sailed along in hearts OF oak,
~ with masts OF New England pine.
and the units Of our fleets in foreign
ports were ships upon which "Mr.
Midshipman Easy" would have felt
perfectly at home. They were
frieates of the build described by
Marryat, some using auxiliary steam
power which had been added after
construction, others with marine en-
gines, installed alb initio: all depending
more or less upon their sails. which
frequently. in order to conserve fuel.
provided the sole motive power.
Such were the Pensacola and the
Lancaster. which comprised the
United States South Pacific Fleet In
the days when the Triumph and the
Hansa dropped anchor. and Peru and
Chile modernized their navies.
A picture comes to mind OF rear
admiral. whose flag flew on the Ian
caster, and who entertained at dinner
on board ship. After black coffee. ne
brought forth some treasured en-
broidery, which the ladies said had
been exquisitely done. 1t had been
created by his needle while his flag
ship moved lazily from Panama to
Valparaiso, and back again.
Another picture reveals q surgeon
from U. s. 8. Pensacola, on shore in
Callao, looking over q stock Of hard
ware until he found . large pair OF
pincers; than a search of the one
drug store for chloroform, because his
medicine chest did not contain an
anesthetic. None could be found and
he remarked that 1t was "just too
bad" because . sailor was suffering
with an infected foot and he must
pull out an ingrowing toenail.
Happy-go-lucky were Americans Of