Admiral Sir G. Phipps Hornby has addressed the following manly letter to the St. James's Gazett To the Evrror.
Si,-—You have published several letters on the presumed loss of the Wasp, reflecting directly on the Admiralty for the way that ship was officered, and incidentally on those officers, and particularly the younger ones, who are said to have been incompetent. I protest against such attacks First, as ungenerous to those who may be sleeping under the sea; secondly, as being probably untrue, I am not acquainted personally with Lieutenant Adamson or any of his atticers; but I know, as far as official reports go, that one of those young men, at least, was particularly able. Therefore, to say that Lieutenant Adamson had no reliable assistant is simply untrue.
But the gravest charge made is against Lieutenant Adamson. If the o attributed to him are correct, it behoves his friends to show that he reported them otherwise, the responsibility must rest on him for going to sea without representing his doubts, and so placing the responsibility on these who could remedy any defects. The assumption appears to be that the ship was lost ina typhoon, or by wreck on the Pratas, Paracels, or some other shoal in the China Sea But we have not heard of any destructive typhoon about that time. It she met one, the responsibility for avoiding it can by no means—except the previous death of Lieut. Adamson-—attach to the younger officers. It is the captain's business, and his alone, to direct the ship's course. The course tu be taken to avoid a typhoon is now well known; and the only insurmountable di riy it is the possible want of When a man is hampered by innet always avoid a typhoon Ships so placed have been lost before in the China Seas, though commanded by the Dest seamen; and probably will be. As to wreck, the vicinity of the Prata and Paracel shoals has long had an evil repute for irregular currents; and a fruitful cause of wreck with new ships is an unexpected error in the compass. We know that ships constructed largely with iron will change their isin by being in-of guns fur practice aus we can see our usual signor known points of land—we recognise such errors and allow for them; but when the skies are clouded and no land is in sight such change cannot be recognised. Then we are in a condition analogous to that of the sh exposed to an approaching typhoon with no sea-room. We are subject to the risks of navigation. Heretofore, when ships have disappeared from such causes, leaving {no trace, the captain and officers have not been charged with incompetence. Still less has it been tried to shield the former from blame by belying the latter.
I deprecate especially this blaming of young officers. I believe I have seen as {much of them as most of my contemporaries; and my opinion of them is that they are better than we were at their age, better taught, so far as teaching is possible, and working harder to learn. We know that when we were young small ships afforded us the best opportunities, because there we did duty and had responsibility which in larger ships falls on older men. Ibelieve our young men recognise it now; at least I can account in no other way for the zeal with which they volunteer for torpedo-buats—a sea life as trying as any. Why discourage them, or deprive them of the best opportunity to improve themselves, by assuming when loss occurs—without a tittle of evidence—that it is due to their incom-potence As a captain I have kept watch for officers whose capacity I may have doubted—so has every captain probably; but 1 have never kept it for a young one. I have always trusted them, and cannot recall an instance when that confidence was misplaced. Thirty years ago a brig was capsized on the coast of Africa in' a squall. Only four or five men were supposed to have been saved. From their narrative it appeared that a young sub-lieutenant was officer of the watch at the time, and the responsibility seemed to rest on him. But his father was an old seaman, who knew his Jad and had confidence in him. He affirmed boldly that his boy was not to blame. After many weeks that confidence was fully justified. Other survivors appeared; they had been rescued by floating on a' spar. From them it was learnt that the youn, man had proposed to shorten sail, but had been overruled by his superior officer.
Tshare the confidence of that old man, and expect fully that if we hear of the way the Wasp was lost we shall not hear that it was from the inexperience or incapacity of her young officers. am, Sir, Your obedient servant, Pinres Honsny, Admiral. Lordington, Emsworth, Oct. 2%
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.