Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-29
OUR NAVY.
HUMILIATING EXHIBIT,

HUMILIATING EXHIBIT.
WASHINGTON Jan. 28.-Representative Har-
ris, Mass. in behalf of the House naval COM
mittee, to-day reported to the full committee a
bill which was unanimously adopted by the
full committee and will be presented to tho
House tomorrow, with request that an early
day be set for its consideration. 1t is intended
as the forerunner of legislation looking to a
complete reorganization of the navy. Repre-
sentative Harris's bill authorizes the secretary
of the navy to cause to be made thorough i'll
speCtiOn of all vessels in the navy and all stores
and materials, and to sell such as are pro-
nounced unseaworthy. The bill provides for
establishment of fund to be known as the
permanent construction of the navy fund,
which shall comprise appropriations made
therefor from time to time by Congress, and
the proceeds arising from the sale of old con-
demned vessels of the navy and condemned
materials, stores and supplies, which fund
shall be used and expended by the secretary of
the navy in the construction, armament and
equipment of new naval vessels, and for no
other purpose. The bill further authorizes the
secretary to accept models, plans, etc., for yes
sells, ngines, machinery, ornaments, ETC., from
any and all sources, and to determine what sum
shall be paid for the same.
report written by Representative Harris
to accompany the bill will be presented to the
House tomorrow. 1t first sets forth the re-
suits of the careful investigation made by the
committee to ascertain the present condition,
character, usefulness and capacity for warlike
purposes of each vessel named on the navy
register. In concluding their detailed analy-
sis of the 142 vessels of our navy, 30 called, the
com mittee brings the result into tabular form
to show, as they say, what dissolving view
our navy presents" and continued: Here
forty-eight vessels and more belonging to the
navy to-day not capable of firing gun,
and of these five are absolute sailing vessels.
Era hoca IN, ha fha oil cfoa
vessels repairing awaiting repairs, the six
ironclad vessels repairing and awaiting re-
pairs the three steam vessels in ordinary, and
the one unfinished second rate steam vessel,
and assume that they can ell be made fit for
duty, the whole navy OF the United States
would at any one time number only sixty-n inc
vessels capable of carrying guns and doing
naval duty. Such an assumption, however,
will not be made by men of ordinary judg-
ment. This is the whole of the navy of the
United States SO far as relates to fighting YES
sells. The fact may be dlsagreeable to con-
template and humiliating to American pride.
In presenting it, however, We but discharge
duty we owe to the House and people. The
remedy and responsibility are not with the
committee.
But we are weak in guns as well as ships.
We have less than 250 guns af1oat in our entire
navy, and of these less than forty are rifles
few eight inch, a few 100-pounders and few
sixty-pounders. All the rest are antiquated
smooth bores. At the opening of the late war
the ships and the guns of the American navy
were equal to those of any nation. When the
Monitor and Merrimac met and startled the
world with their conflict, in which thick ar
NOR became for the first time overmatch
for heavy guns, the other nations commenced
to solve this great problem in naval warfare.
While they have been spending vast sums of
money and making experiments in all dlrec-
tions we have rested aud waited until now the
power of guns has outrun the resisting power
of armor.
We want navy capable of protecting
commerce on all seas OF defending our own
borders from invasion and of destroying COM
merce and seagoing cruisers of any nation
which may make war with US. To do this,
first, we should put our irsnclad fleet in q con-
dition of the greatest efficiency, and should de-
velop the torpedo system to its fullest extent.
Without an ironciad feet in condition for coast
and harbor defense, and our torpedo
system perfected, five million of am unitions
may defy all danger of foreign invasion. But
we should be able not only to meet and beat OF
an invasion froIi our shore, but also to extort
from an enemy terms of honorable peace by
aggressive on the high seas. The Lite war
has taught how much harm a few fast shipH,
calamity commanded, can do upon the high
SEAS and the lesson should not be lost upon us.
In the opinion of the committee, the time
has arrived when it ia a national duty to begin
cOnStIuC OIL d new navy. LII any AuIuio
wars with European powers, We must night
upon the sea or nowhere.
The committee do not recommend
the expenditure of large sums with view
of perfecting such a navy this year, or
next, but to commence the construction of
three or four vessels each year and keep con-
stantly employed a regular force of skilled
mechanics to employ the best skill in naval
architecture, in engineering and gunnery and
to settle upon the best system and Methods.
Before commencing upon new navy the
committee recommended thorough overhaul
ing and wedding out and sale of vessels, ma
terials stock and ornaments which are super
anuated and practically useless.