Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-12-04
Synopsis OF the Report of tho Sec.
rotary of the Navy
lWsahiagton Special (Nov. 29 to Chicago
Times.

Washington Special (Nov. 2s) to Chicago
Secretary Thompson completed yesterday
his report upon the condition of the navy,
aud will send it to the printer tomorrow
morning. In conversation with the Times
correspondent upon the subject of his re-
port he said that it was nothing more or less
than the photograph of the condition of the
navy as it now exists. He reports to Congress
there are now eighty vessels of the. navy in
good condition for action in case of need,
and that there are also twenty tugs that in
an emergency might be made equal to some
of the vessels included in the eighty. for
purposes of war. He estimates the
ninety-two vessels. Mr.. Thompson rel:
flutes the idea that the navy is not at present
in good condition, and says it is in posses
sion of ample material for all our require
ments. The natural wear aud tear of ma
a small addition to the navy, and for that
reason he will ask Congress to give
THREE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
for the construction of new vessels. He es.
tim ates that this sum, if given him, will
build about six vessels upon models pro-
posed by him. He has built no new vessels
since his time as secretary in the
proper sense of the word, for he
held that under the law money appropriated
for the repair of vessels could not be
used for the simple construction of new ves-
sells. Two vessels, however, have been re-
built upon old stocks, under the repair act,
and are practically new vessels The Hart
ford has just returned from three years.
cruise in the Southern seas. and will be sur
veyed in few days. 1t is probable that the
board of survey will find that she has suf-
fered good deal from tho Southern climate,
where vessels do not keep as we'll as they do
in the North, and that possibly she will be
placed upon the retired list. It is to meet
the possibility of several old vessels going
out that MIR. Thompson asks for the
100000 from Congress-.
Mr.. Thompson thinks that it
has BEEN WISE POLICY
on the part of the country to let the ques-
ton of building ships of war lie in statu quo
for time. England has been: making, dur.
ing the last few years, very costly expert.
ments in determining the best class of YES
sells to be built, and this country can now
reap the results of them without any expert.
ment. 1t would be possible to have the
American government, at comparatively lit.
tie expense, build up very powerful navy
The secretary believes that the day of iron
vessels has already come; that they arc prac
tically doomed. There is no iror
plate that can be manufactured
for which q ball cannot be found
to pierce it. and an iron vessel once pierced
will go down with almost no warning. An
aperture cut in an iron vessel cannot be
stopped up, as in the case of wooden vessels
He believes that the navies of the earth viii
have to
RETURN TO WOODEN VESSELS,
and rely upon speed, superior armament
aud skillful seamanship, for success. Oh
course, he refers with pride to the fact that
at the end Of the fiscal year he will have
81, 100000 to cover into the treasury of I'M
expended appropriations made for his de-
partment. This has already been referred
to in the Times dispatches. He vii
ask for the department proper 100000 more
than was given him by the last Congress, and
from the seoretary's statement it appears
that never was a more reasonable request
made by cabinet officer. He says that I'M
der the law naval officers are of course al
lowed so much pay, and all that person
would need would be the rank of officers and
their number to find out exactly how much
money is required. He figured that out TO,
the last Congress, but they cut it down
100000. He asks $4,000 of Congress tx
make up the deficiency of last year, $780,
600 for this year, and the third 100000 il
| for the increase in pay that has come from
natural causes. He asks Congress to give
100000 for the continuance Of his nava
schools. Upon this subject the secretary ii
| enthusiastic. He says he never means tt
pause until he has the entire American navy
MANNED DY AMERICAN SAILORS.
When he began his system OF training
ships he said there was hardly sailor in the
navy that was native born; they all repre-
sented the scum of foreign ports, and it was
rare that any of these sailors who enlisted
ever became naturalized citizens. The re
suits that have thus far been obtained by
his school ere most fattering. He graduates
each year $50 boys, who, when they graduate
have good common school education, ant
are thorough seamen as far as training goes
He says every commander of ship in thu
navy is very anxious to get them, and gives
them the highest praise.