CURRENT TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12536, 25 June 1901, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS.

A MILITARY GOVERNOR.

The appointment of General Chaffee to the Military Governorship of the Philip-

pines show's that the veteran’s lack of polish has not prejudiced

him in the eyes of the American Government. The position must, for many years, be a very responsible one, and it is doubtful if it sould be better filled than by the gruff old soldier, who has served’ his country so well in various parts of the world during the past forty years. It is very likely, hpwever, that his new office will give him many opportunities for the display of that fine flow of invective to which we alluded yesterday. 1 Another example of his power in this direction, is supplied! by a correspondent of the “Daily News.” Just after the battle of Yang Tsun, the correspondent of “The New York rode across to Chaffee’s headquarters, to impart some information,which bethought would be of -considerable value, to a member of the General’s staff. As the'newspaper man rode round the comer of the headquarters hut he raised a cloud of dust, which the wind, with utter disrespect of rank, caught and blew straight into the face of the General, who was seated in the yard, behind the dwelling. In an instant the General jumped to his feet, and, with a volley of oaths, roared-; “ Get out of here, damn you; what do you mean by coming here, anyway?” The bewildered correspondent -tried to -stammer out, an apology and- explanation, but to no effect. Chaffee deluged him with such a torrent of execration that his only recourse lay in immediately remounting -and “ getting out of' there ”as rapidly as possible. Of course, that young man will always be unshaken in his belief that General Chaffee lacks dignity as well as moderation. ’ The same correspondent tells a story of one of Reuter’s representatives, who went to the General with a request for some special -Press privilege. “I don’t know,” he says, “what the exact words of that plainspoken veteran were on that occasion, as the correspondent always grew exceedingly incoherent when questioned on the subject. I once heard him say, however, that he considered l himself fortunate to have come out alive.” General Chaffee is, by, the way, a firm friend cf the British. He recently gave considerable offence to a section of Ms countrymen by predicting jam early defensive union between the AngloSaxon races, and he took no -pains to disguise- his preference for -their troops during the campaign in China.

It is now regarded l as certain (write our London correspondent) that the Discovery will start on her cruise to Antarctica early

THE ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION.

in August. The necessary preparations are going forward 1 with despatch, and so advanced arc matters that those mainly interested find time to press for the two things which they Aver are prime necessities if the utmost value for money is to he got out of the expedition. These are a second ship and a balloon. It has always been an axiom of Arctic exploration that dangers are very much diminished if a second ship attends on the first, because it forms a line of retreat, besides giving accommodation for such stores as the principal vessel is herself unable to cany. The second ship need not be of the same iceresisting qualities as the -exploring vessel proper. She need only go as far as she safely can do, having regard 1 to her build, and for the Antarctic expedition what is needed is a vessel of the whaler type. A second need, also of considerable importance, is a balloon.; When the estimates were made out by the Royal Geographical Society, no allowance was made for a balloon, for the very good reason that no money was available. However, it was hoped that further donations would furnish the sunt necessary, about £I3OO. The money is still needed. Sir Joseph Hooker, survivor of Ross’s expedition of 1839-42, strongly advocates the provision of a balloon. If the Discovery became jammed in the ice, and was) unable to proceed, a balloon would give a radius of vision of some , seven^to- eighty-miles* as the at---

mosphere is at. tames phenomenally clear in the Antarctic ‘ regions.. ■ The explorers : would thus be able to gain an idea'of the general outline of the country for a dis-' tance which they could not hope to explore by parties under a month or sis weeks. Meanwhile the difficulties created by Professor Gregory’s resignation of the leadership of the scientific staff have still to be met. The great majority of scientific men in Great Britain were confident that Professor Gregory possessed unique qualifications for the post of scientific leader of an expedition in which many' branches of science required study and coordination. Under his direction, and with a competent naval fyead, who should havean absolute veto upon all operations which involved risk to ship and crew, great scientific results were assured. The opposition of the representatives of the Royal Geographical Society, which had obtained most of the funds voluntarily subscribed,* and of a few scientific men belonging to the Navy, rendered it impossible that these full powers could be granted; and, after attempts to arrange a ■ satisfactory compromise, Professor Gregory resigned. Two other Antarctic expeditions are about to set out. The Scottish expedition, underMr William S. Bruce, and the Swedish expedition, under Dr 0. Nordensjold, will sail for the south simultaneously in. September; More than enough money has been provided for one year’s complete work for the Scottish explorers, but it is intended to raise funds for at least two. years’ work. ,

SUBMARINE BOATS.

The success achieved by the French naval authorities in their experiments with

the Narval will give a fresh' impetus to the construction ,of submarine boats. If a fighting craft can be kept under water for’even six Hours without any inconvenienceJto her occupants - , her sphere of usefulness need not be confined to’coastal defence. So far the British Admiralty has looked upon the submarine boat as the vessel of the weaker Power, and has declared that it cannot be used on the offensive, but the result of the French experiments will doubtless change its opinion. Of the five submarine boats which France possesses, the Gymnote, • Gustave Zede, Morse, and Fraucais are “submarines proper;” they depend, for their propulsion entirely on electricity,; and are intended for purposes of coast defence only. The 'Narval, on the contrary, is a boat with a wide range of action. She is -driven by an oil engine at the surface, and by, accumulators when beneath the waves. She may, in fact, ha described as a submersible torpedo-boat. Exhaustive trials with the Narval amd the Morse were commenced last month, with a view to ascertain the capabilities o| the two; •types; . The Government has already ci* located a large sum of money for the construction of “ submarines,” and it is «zi pected that by the end of the current yean it will have, at least twenty-two boats' of this class actually afloat or, nearing completion.' The United States Government ja showing considerable activity in ’ the earns direction, and has ordered! six vessels 'of the Holland type from the Holland Torpedo Boat Company, These boats will be 63ft 4in long, and lift 9in in diameter, and they will displace 120 tons. / Each will be, driven by a single screw four-cylinder Otto gasoline engine of 160 indicated horsepower, giving a speed of eight knots on the surface. Awash and submerged, the' driving power will "be” electricity, derived from accumulators, and the speed will bo seven knots. The cost of these little vessels will.be about £40,000 each,and we should have thought that the British Admiralty, with the millions at its disposal,might have easily spared the comparatively small sura that would! be required for the construction of ten or a dozen.