St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-27
OUR COAST DEFENSES.
The Presidents Plea for Armored
Ships and Big Guns.
Message Sent to Congress Yesterday Urging
Liberal Appropriations.

WASHINGTON, March 26.-The president
to-day sent to ongress the following message
recommending appropriations for the con-
struction of naval vessels: ''In my annual
message 1 impressed npon congress the ne
cessity of continued progress in the recon-
struction of the navy. l now deem it my
duty to advise that an appropriation be made
at the present session towards designing and
commencing the construction of at least
three additional steel cruisers and four gun
boats recommended by the secretary of the
navy, the cost of which, including arma-
ment, will not exceed 81, 283, 900, of which
one-half should be appropriated for the next
fiscal year. The Chicago, Boston, Atlanta
and Dolphin have been designed and are being
built with care and skill, and there is every
reason to believe they will prove creditable
and serviceable modern cruisers. Technical
questions concerning the details of these or
additional vessels, cannot wisely be settled,
except by experts and the naval advisory
board, organized by direction of congress
under the act of August 5, 1882, and con-
sisting of three line officers, naval con-
structor and naval engineer, selected with
reference only to character, experience,
knowledge and skill, and q naval architect
anu ludIluc eHSluccl, 1IOui civil L1c, VI tS-
tablished reputation and standing as experts
in naval or marine construction, is appropri-
ate authority to decide finally as to such
questions. am unwilling to see the gradual
reconstruction of our navy cruisers, now hap
PLY begun in conformity with modern
requirements, delayed one full year,
for any unsubstanttal reason. Whatever
conditions congress may see fit to
in or1n IN do
signs and honest and economical construction
will be acceptable to me, but to relinquish or
postpone the policy already deliberately de-
clared will be. in my judgment, an act of
national imprudence. Appropriations should
also be made without delay for finishing the
four double turreted monitors, Puritan, Am
phitrite, Terror, and Monadnock, and for
procuring their armament, and that of the
MinantOnomah. Their hulls are built, and
their machinery are under contract
and approaching completion, except
that of the Monadnock on the Pacific coast.
This should also be built, and the armor and
heavy guns of all procured at the earliest
practicable moment. The total amount ap-
propriated to this time for the four vessels is
SO, SAC, 941. A sum not exceeding So, $685.
769, including 1866, 725 for four powerful
rifed cannon, and for the remainder an ord
nance outfit, will complete and equip them
for service. Of the sum required only
So, 1000, 900 need be appropriated for the next
fiscal year. 1t is not expected that one of
the monitors will be a match for the
heaviest broadside ironclads, which
certain other governments have constructed,
at cost of four or five millions each, but
they will be armored vessels, of an approved
and useful type, and possessed of such sea-
going capacity and offensive power, as to
fully answer our immediate necessities.
Their completion having been determined
upon in recent legislation by congress, no
time should be lost in accomplishing the
necessary object
The gun foundry board appointed by the
directions of congress, consisting of three
army and three navy officers, has submitted
its report, duly transmitted on the goth of
February, 1884 recommending that the gov
eminent should promote the production, at
private steel works, of the required material
for heavy cannon, and that two
government factories, one for the
army and one for the navy,
should be established for the fabrication of
guns from such material. An early opsid-
Grafton of the report is recommended, togetner
with such action as will enable the govern
ment to construct its ordnance upon its own
territory, and so to provide the ornaments
demanded by the considerations which con-
Germ the national safety and honor"