Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 May 1889 — The British Naval Failure. [ARTICLE]

The British Naval Failure.

Now York Sun. We published the other day a report concerning some recent manoeuvres of British men-of-war which must excite attention among the people of both hemispheres. It seems that in these manoeuvres half a dozen vessels, all known as of the Archer type, took part, and that in a moderate sea they pitched and rolled so as to make any military use /df their cannon quite impracticable; gnd the conclusion of the experts was that the heavy guns which they no# carry must be replaced by others much lighter. In other words, the ships are a gross failure, and the money expended in them is in a great degree, if not entirely, so much money wasted. Our readers will also remember that eight or ten months ago a great demonstration wks made around the British islands and especially along the coast of Ireland, by the entire array of England’s immense fleet of ironclads. Forty-five of these modern monsters were engaged with twenty odd torpedo boats to attend them, and, although the weather was not severe, the experiment showed that out of the whole qqtnber there were not more than one or two whipa in_ the fleet that could go to-sea in a breeze and fight in even moderately water.

Tn other words, it is substantially demonstrated that for sea going and sea fighting these great armor-clad machines are useless. They are like Ericsson’B monitors, available for nothing but harbor defence, that is to say, for fighting in smooth water, and mainly at anchor. How much money Great Britain has invested in unavailable machines of this sort it would be difficult to determine. We have heard the sum estimated by a British public man, not unfamiliar with the subject, at over a thousand millions of dollars! Such a case of national extravagance, blindness, and delusion has never before been [known in history.