Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-07-28
The Proposed Improvement of the
Navy.

time ago appointed an advisory board to
take into consideration the condition
and needs of the navy and to report
plan for its improvement. The board
has held a meeting and has gone 10
work.
According TO the NdraL Register OF
1879 our navy consists OF 139 SHIPS all
told. OF these twenty five are OF the
tug boat variety, and not vessels of war
even bv courtesy. In the list of ia
remaining are included all the old hulls
housed up and decaying in the navy
wards. and many begun and not finished.
There are in all but twenty,four iron
cIads, all screw steamers of second, third
and fourth rates. They were all built
during the last war, and such advances
have since been made in naval science
that they are now obsolete. They are all
very slow, consume much coal, and have
an inefficient armament of light smooth
bore guns; but even with these draw
backs only fourteen are fit for any kind
of service.
OF the remaining ninety vessels &C
credited to our navy, twenty-three are
wooden sailing vessels which, if they
were in good order, might have been of
service in the war of 1912, but are alb
surdly out of date and useless in modern
warfare. There are nine iron steamers,
third and fourth rates, and most of them
of the old sldewheel variety. Three of
them are reported in good and three in
fair condition. The sixty wooden steam
ers range from new and good to rotten
and useless, with every intermediate
stage. The fact that they are
wooden vessels is enough to condemn
them. They may still be of some ser
vice as cruisers, but for offensive or de-
fensive fighting they are utterly useless.
Such is the pitiable showing made
after years of lavish expenditure of the
sums wrung annually from the pockets
of the people for the support of our
naval establishment Enough was
squandered by Robson IN bonuses to
favored contractors, the repair of rotten
hulks, and the conduct of doubtful ex-
periments to make creditable showing.
And now Mr.. Hunt comes forward after
the lapse of four years Of comparative
honesty in the department with his ad-
visory board, which is to paint as seduc-
tive picture as it well may of the needs
of the navy, in order to procure license
for another reign Of jobbery.
Time was when our navy was our
crOwning glory, but then we had sailors.
and our commerce was growing, daring
and enterprising. But since the govern
ment ceased to care what befell this great
industry, the American seaman has well
nigh vanished from the seas. The aver
age tax payer will conclude that as we
have little or no. commerce to protect,
and have gotten along with the few sea
worthy vessels that the navy boasts of
for quite long time, We need no IN
usual increase of facilities for affOrding
our pampered naval heroes the advant-
ages of pleasure yachts. For excursion
purposes, the seaworthy tubs in service
will suffice.
We have no quarrels on hand and are
not likely to take up any soon. In case
of invasion the nation that could create
a naval force powerful enough to
blockade one half of its seacoast, as the
North did in the late war, could probably
take care of itself. If it be urged that we
need a considerable navy to preserve the
morale and efficiency of the naval arm
Of the service, it may be replied with
truth that the volunteers IN the late war
made as creditaDle records as the staff
1t would be utterly useless as well as
foolish TO let out contracts for ironclads,
which would in a dozen years be as Obso-
lete as their pioneer types are now.
The navy that We have will suffice.
Smash up the hulks that are worthless,
take the few vessels that are seaworthy,
make them more so, and If they will not
suffice to accommodate the naval con-
tingent, cutit down. When we have a
commerce worth protecting it will be
time to talk of first class navy. We no
more need a navy like that of England
or Italy than we need the army of Ger
many Should peril beset US, the genius
and skill that gave the world its first
ironclads could also supply their most
formidable types.
Secretary Hunts motives may be emf
nently patriotic, but 1t would be mar
velous if, after the bills for his contracts
were rendered, he did not find that he
had played into the hands of jObbers
We have war vessels enough TO meet the
needs of peace establishment. Should
an emergency arise it would be met, as
every one has been met, that has con-
frOnted the republic.