Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-12-06
THE AMERICAN NAVY.
WHAT rHn snuRrrARy SAYS or IT.
the Now ers-Keoommsndstiou IN Be.
halt OF League characterization
of our Merchant Marine

nall OF League ilhnd-kestGtatiOu
of our Merchant Marine.
The report of the secretary of the navy
states the conclusions of the advisory
board recommending the construction OF
| one cruiser of 4, 500 tons, one cruiser OF 600
! tons, one dispatch vessel of 1900 tons, two
heavily armed gunboats of /, 500 tons each,
one light gunboat of $50 tons, one steel
ram, one cruising torpedo boat, two harbor
! torpedo boats and one armed vessel not ex.
| oeeding 1000 tons, The department, in
| adopting the recommendation, calls special
attention to the necessity for torpedo
boats. In general, the secretary recon-
mends the construction of seven modern
cruisers annually for period of ten years.
| Such plan, he says, while conforming to
the conservative demand OF our national
policy and affording ample time for adopt
| ing every new device in construction,
would give the country at moderate cost .
navy adequate to train its officers and
maintain its safety and honor.
| In regard to the existing navy Secretary
| Chandler says:
| II appears from the condition of the fleet
that, at the end of fifteen years, the only
cruising vessels of the present list remain.
ing will be three small iron vessels-the
Monocacy, Alert and Ranger. The limi
tation of repairs to wooden vessels should
continue 90 Per cent. of their costs, as the
department has for years earnestly advo
Gated. The explanation OF the dispropor.
ton between the expenditure and the re
suits accomplished in naval administration
is to be found in the policy Of attempting
at great costs to rehabilitate worn -ou
structures under the name of repairs. Re
pair and reconstruction in the absence of
fixed limit are terms easily interchangeable
and the published statements of expendi
ture under the first named during man
years show that it is only apt to mean tn
second. The practice of reconstruct
ing vessels under the name of repairs
the only pret ext upon which our overerow
navy yard establishments GDuld be iusttieC
aud 1t appears thai, inst cad of maintainiu
/ our yards for the advantage and benefit {
our ships. the ships have dragged out
protracted existence for the benefit of th
4 yards.
! Concerning navy yards, Secretary Char
j. der held that only two naval work shop
should be maintained on the Atlauti
coast, ana one on the Pacific. The Ne
l. London yard should be restored to Cor
}. necticut, and the League Island yard t
Philadelphia. The Bost yard should b
sold or reduced in slzs. The Pensacol
y and Port1mouth yards may be kept f
naval stations The workshops would the
Y be in New York, Norfolk aud Mar
II Island. These need certain improvement
in organization First. All politics shoal
be excluded from their management, i
y accordance with sectionl j46 of the revise
o statutes, which says Nor shall an worl
. ingman be discharged or removed fc
; political opinion" Secondly, Il sponsibil
e ity for the work must be more definitel
J. fixed.
The secretary reports the removal fro,
Siberia of the bodies of Lieutenant Con
% marder De Long, of the Jeanette, an
II his companions, and gives history of IL
g Greely relief expedition, the expenditure
- for which were s762, 096.
IL In conclusion, Secretary Chandler dwel
If upon the close connection between Il
improvement of the navy and t2e deveI
ment of the merchant marine, and shov
:. that to make the latter commensurate wi
"a our trade, our coast line, and the numb,
and wealth of our commercial cities, v
% must have great lines of ocean steamship
u of high speed and large capacity, carryiu
D our flag tothe most distant lands aud savr
/ to our people the vast profits of the carry
ing trade. The only way To aeeonAei''
this result, he says, is through direct e
couragement given by the goyernmen
either in the form of bounties upon col
i, structiOn or upon payment for carrying Il
q mails so that American capitalists will
induced to embark in the business.