Modern Ships of War (Classic Reprint) - Tapa blanda

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Excerpt from Modern Ships of War

After many years of neglect, the people of this country have awakened to the necessity of creating a modern fleet. Proud as they were of the Navy's achievements in the past, they failed for a long time to exhibit any interest in its present or future, and met all claims for its re-establishment by a denial of its usefulness, or by a lazy opti mism of indifference which smilingly put the question by. Indeed, at one time, the popular solicitude disappeared completely, and outside of the service there was manifested neither an alarm at its degeneracy nor an appreciation of the dangers this made possible. With an apathy inexplicable upon any rational grounds, the notes of warning sounded by experts were unheeded, and the law-makers contented themselves by pinning their faith to what they called the creative possibilities of American genius. They accepted this fallacy as a fact, they made this phrase a fetich, and with a fatuous hope believed it could, by some cc cult inspiration, in the event of sudden, sharp, and short war, save them from the fighting-machines which twenty years of tireless experiment had perfected abroad. In the end, by a neatly balanced policy of pride and folly, the Navy was exhausted almost to dissolution. Then Con gress lazily bestirred itself to action, and prescribed as a remedy three unarmored cruisers and a despatch-boat..

Heroic treatment, not homoeopathy, was needed; but, thanks to a naturally Vigorous constitution, the bolus sufficed to lift the patient out of the throes, and to encourage him into a languid convalescence. Lucki ly, the vessels became a party question, and their historic tribulations did so much towards educating the nation that a public sentiment was aroused which made a modern navy possible. It must be confessed, however, that the demand even yet is not so vociferous as to dominate all other issues, though there is apparent everywhere a quickening de sire for the country to take, if not the first, at least a respectable, place among the great maritime powers.

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