The Daily Chronicle of Tuesday publishes an interesting interview between
Captain Mahan and its Washington correspondent in regard to the English Navy. Captain Mahan, who, by the way, has retired to write a Life of Nelson, thinks that there are two strong points from which our Navy will derive great advantage in future wars. The first is the long service of our seamen. "In France, as I understand, when a man's raw period has passed, and he is just becoming a desirable quantity, his time is up and he is discharged. Not to with England, where, having been to the trouble and expense of training him, the Government, by the very reason of this long period of enlistment, is enabled to reap the benefits from this perfectly drilled man." The second strong point is the fact that our Captains are youngish men. "A Captain can attain command of a ship at a comparatively early age. Owing to the length of time, about fifteen years, passed in the grade of Captain, an officer must become Captain by forty or he never becomes an Admiral. In France the average age of becoming Captain is over fifty. These two points weigh more with me than any others in estimating the probable future efficiency of the British Navy in war."
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