Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-23
THE AMERICAN NAVY.

missed.
THE AMERICAN NAVY.
A Lot of Rotten and Worthless Old TMbs-
What the English Think Of Them.
London Spectator, Dec. 81
It will be remembered that the
American admiral, before leaving the Bay
of Alexandria, steamed around the English
vessels and cheered them each in turn.
Commenting upon this act of courtesy, an
American paper said: 'This was an act Of
no ordinary courage, and deserves more
than passing recognition. A man who
will go right out on the water in an Amer
lean man-ofwar does not know what fear
is." Besides entertainment, however, the
glance will afford instruction, for the pres
ent condition or the navy, and the extern
sive changes which are proposed, are fully
set forth in a report which has recently
been presented to the house of representa-
tives by the Hon. B. w. Harris, chairman
of the naval committee.
At first sight, the navy in question does
not present itself in its true colors, for
on Jan. 1, 1882, it consisted of no fewer
than 140 vessels; but On analysis this total
dwindles to an extent hardly credible, al
though we have never been accustomed to
regard the United States as naval power.
The total of 14C vessels is made up as fol-
lows: Sixty eight wooden steamers, of
which only thirteen are classed as first
rate; twenty-three sailing vessels, of which
there are no frst-rates, and only four Sec
~ IL
twenty-five "tugs. ETC." This first step in
the analysis reveals an astonishing state
of things, quite different from that sug-
gested by the original total; but
the truth is not yet half told.
OF the sixty -eight wooden steam
ers, eight are rotten on the stocks and
could not possibly be floated, and fourteen
are ''obsolete and worthless" all these
twenty-five costing large sums annually to
guard them from being stolen piecemeal
by harbor thieves. OF the twenty three
sailing vessels eight are described as worth
less; likewise two of the iron-clads. OF
the tugs, etc.," ten are worn out and
worthless" The total number of 40 YES
sells must therefore be reduced to start
with by thirty-eight, which are worth
nothing except as old timber and iron and
not much as that. We thus get an origi-
nal total of ninety eight. OF these, fifteen
are simply navy-yard tugs, and cannot by
any stretch of the imagination be consid-
cred vessels-of-war, thus leaving eighty
three vessels capable of service to be ac-
counted for. Next must be deducted four
teen sailing vessels of an entirely anti
quated construction, built from 1897 to
1858. This leaves sixty-nine steamers.
But still the humiliating subtraction must
proceed. From these we must deduct six,
one vessel having been dispatched to the
Arctic regions, four being on the stocks of
private contractors, the naval authorities
not having made up their minds whether
to finish or sell them, and one vessel being
atioat without either turrets or guns. This
leaves sixty three. Our authority says of
eleven of these, that ''some are not in pres
ent condition for service, some can never
be made SO, and all of them are of very
doubtful value to the service Five of
them are thirty and four of them twenty
years old. We thus get down to
total of fifty-two vessels. but still
we have not done. OF these fifty four
teen are single-turreted monitors, of use
only for the defense of coasts and harbors.
They carry each two large caliber, nss1n DOTH
bore guns, and the latest of them anis built
in 1866. In the official lists they are all
classed as fourth rates.
The result of the above analysis thus
shows that the entire naval force of the
United States for ocean service consists,
not of 40 but of thirty eight vessels. And
even this small number is deceptive, for
Mr.. Harris speaks of them as follows: "A
careful examination of the last table, in
which is displayed the whole Of our often
sive naval power, will satisfy any person
that many of the vessels therein named are
old and nearly worn out, slow in speed,
feeble in offensive power, and utterly in
efficient in defensive power, even in the
power of running away from danger, and
which, when war comes, will only be safe
behind Notifications or unapproachable
harbors."
The guns of the American navy are on
par with the vessels which carry them. OF
the 357 guns with which the above thirty
eight vessels are armed, there is not one of
high power, not single breech-loader, and
only sixty two are rifed. The Boston Her
aid, in commenting ON the report of the
committee, puts the whole truth in few
words: eve have not one high power,
long range, rifled breech-loading cannon
afioat in the navy, and it may as well be
said here that we have not one to put
afoat."
It is clear from the above statements,
taken from the latest official sources, that
the United States has practically no navy
at all. The Americans have an old joke
that, under certain circumstances. they
would come over here and tow the British
Isles up the Mississippi. To this jocular
bit of brag we can oppose the statement
in sober earnest that England could dis
patch a single one Of her large ironclads
across the Atlantic and dictate any terms
she pleased; and that not only could a
great naval power like England do this, but
any little country of the:world that chose to
fit out man-of-war of the modern type
would have the United States at its mercy.
Parltur pax bello, doctrine with which
we Europeans are so familiar, is one which
either Americans have not yet understood,
or do not believe.
A Fuss at Fargo.
Especial Telegram to the Globe.l
FARGO, D. T., Dec. 22.-There's music in
the air. j. Brooks, chairman of the Cass