THE NEW SCHEME OF NAVAL TRAINING.
[TO THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR:1
am delighted to remark that the writer of a letter so lucid and impartial as that of " R. N." (Spectator, Febru. ary 21st) finds himself in perfect agreement with me, though he scarce seems aware of the fact. What we all most earnestly desire is, indeed, to " get the knowledge of the inner working of the various departments of a ship into the hands, or the head, of the man who has to command her." But the point at issue is : Does the new scheme of naval training provide the best—the only—means for achieving its object? The old precedents to which " R. N." refers fail us here; for the hard fact is that the gaining of " the knowledge of the inner work- ing," and the gaining of the practical knowledge of how actually to make the machinery which works, do each, in this day of intricate machinery and scientific seamanship, require a special training extending over the whole term allowed by the Admiralty for a general training. The one kind of know- ledge is requisite for the executive officer, the other for the engineer officer. I regret to find that—to quote, Sir, your own expression—my "tone towards the engineers" has given offence. My personal sentiments cannot signify in the least ; but I should like to say that none admires the engineers, as a body, more than L But I was bound to refer to their methods of agitation ; methods which, I think, are discounte- nanced by the majority of engineers on active service, but of which they must needs share the responsibility. If any one cares to see what those methods are let him consult a file of the Engineer and the Naval and Military Record for the last three or four years. He will be rewarded by a curious light, which may perhaps reveal one reason for the presence in the scheme of the anachronism to which I have ventured to draw attention, and of the proposed new titles of rank, with whose borrowed splendour the old and honourable engineer titles are to be gilded over.—I am, Sir, &c., L. COPE CORNFORD. Brighton.
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