San Juan were opposed to
every theory of modern military science. The defenses might have been
considered impregnable some fifty years or so ago, but to-day they are
by no means formidable.

Our marvelous naval victories have taught a lesson to the entire world,
and America to-day stands stronger than she ever did before. In fact,
there is not a nation that does not respect us and fear us, which
possibly could not have been said before the American-Spanish war. Prior
to that, it was rather the fashion to sneer at the Yankee army and navy,
but that will never be done again.

Foreign nations know now what the United States really is.

"Dewey's and Sampson's victories must be very depressing to French,
German and Russian naval aspirations," observes a gentleman of
Washington, who is a most competent authority. "For years they have been
measuring up against England, and quietly calculating what combinations
they could make to overthrow British sea power. France, particularly,
has been building a navy which she hoped, in spite of past experience,
might cope with England's. She has spent immense sums upon it, and
relative to the interests it has to guard, it is larger and stronger
than England's. But Spain's experience reiterates the old story that it
is not so much the ships as the men on them who win victories. Had the
Americans been on Spanish ships and the Spanish on the American there
would have been a very different story to tell. While the French are
very superior to the Spanish, they are of the same Latin blood, and
there is just enough similiarity between the two peoples to hint at the
success French ships would have in encountering with Anglo-Saxons,
either sailing under the Star Spangled Banner or the Cross of St.
George. Germany is likely to have the same sort of a chill. The Gentians
have never been a maritime nation. A German war vessel has never fired a
hostile shot, and Germans may well have solicitous thoughts as to the
result of a struggle with men who have shown themselves past masters in
the art of naval warfare. Russia is in the same situation. She has never
actually fought anybody at sea but the Turks. The wiser among these
peoples are very likely to begin thinking that their dreams of sea power
are vain illusions, and that they had better save the money they have
been spending on navies and resign the dominion of the sea to the
English-speaking races."

There is no doubt that our naval victories hav