The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-05


candidly into consideration, 1t was scarcely to
be expected that these vessels would be worth
a great deal after they had done the work for
which they had been specially constructed.
The greatest fault that can be imputed 20
Mr.. Welles is that he permitted such crack
Drained theorists as sherwood to carry
on costly experiments at the most critical
period of the war and in opposition
to the protests of those who thought that the
times were not well adapted to the investiga-
ton of new theories on the expansion of
steam, when the efficiency of the vessels of
the navy depended upon their being fitted
with machinery of the most approved design
and construction. But whether Mr.. Welles
was to blame or not for the bad condition of
the navy at the date of his retirement from
Office, the fact remains that we are practically
defenseless against a sudden attack by a
foreign foe.
Since the present administration has been
in power the attention of Congress and the
country has repeatedly been called to the
dilapidated condition of the navy and to the
importance of increasing its strength. 1t is
open to very serious doubt, however, whether
the Navy Department, as now organized, is
more efficient than it was under Grandfather
Welles.
The real head of the department is Vice
Admiral Porter, and the first performance of
this officer on coming into power was to in
troduce an element of Generalization into
the service by stirring up the old jealousies
between the line and staff officers until they
resulted in an open conflict. He next distin-
guished himself by remaining the navy out of
''Tooke's Pantheon then he set himself to
work to reduce the number of the enginee rs
to such O low figure that their influence would
not be great enough to make them rivals of the
line, and finally he made the remarkable pro-
position to build iron steamships that in
time of peace could be used as mail packets
and in time of hostilities be transformed to
men-of-war. This last was a most
extraordinary idea for an officer of Admiral
Porter's rank, experience, and presumed
ability to set before the country. During
the Rebellion merchant steamers-of which
the Vanderbilt was a favorable specimen
did good service as blockaders, as cruisers
after suspected vessels on the high seas, aud
as transports for any other purposes they
were absolutely worthless, and any midship-
man ought to be able to tell Admiral Porter
that a properly-constructed gunboat would
sink one of his iron packets of five times her
size inside of fifteen minutes, and the idea
| of such vessels being any defense whatever
against the navies of France or England is
too absurd to be considered for a moment.
1t needs no argument to prove that the
efficiency of the navy in the future must
largely depend upon machinery aud its proper
management. In spite of this, however,
since Admiral Porter has been in power
everything possible has been done to cripple
the engineer corps of the navy. Instead of
sending out upon our national vessels a full
complement of engineers, the plan has been
devised of attaching only two to each ship,
and of supplying the places of the regular
assistants with men enlisted for the cruise as
engine drivers. This is the plan that was
tried on the first introduction of steam ma
chinery in the navy, and because it would not
work a regular corps Of naval engineers was
organized. 1t is simply impossible to enlist
competent men for this kind of service, and
in every case in which the experiment has
yet been tried the entire work of managing
the steam machinery has devolved upon the
regular engineers. In this instance the en-
gineer corps, and with it the safety and eff
cheney of our naval machinery, has been
sacrificed to the jealousy of the line officers.
If the Navy Department has not
displayed any great amount of ability
in the way Of improving the navy,
it has at least urged upon Congress
the Importance of making proper appropria-
tons for the increase of our naval force. It
is not at all necessary, as Porter sug-
gests, that we should attempt to compete with
the great European n%avies, but it is necessary
that we should have a reasonable number of
frst-class vessels, both for foreign and home
service. In case of foreign war it is to the
navy we must look for our principal protec-
ton against invasion, and it was simply
criminal neglect on the part of the legisla-
tive branch of the Government that it re
fused to give proper consideration to
this subject. Two of the greatest
of the European powers have suddenly be-
come involved in a gigantic war, and there is
at least a probability that a general European
conflict may ensue. 1t is a matter of the
first consequence that we should at least have
the means of preserving our neutrality, or of
affording adequate protection to our COM
merce and our citizens in Europe, and it is to
be hoped that the administration will be able
to do something towards improving the navy,
OF that if the means at its disposal are SO
totally inadequate that nothing can be done,
the President will call an extra session of
Con gress to consider the matter.