New-York tribune., 1884-03-22
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
CONGRESS AND NATIONAL DEFENCE.

JOHN ROACH or TIRE EVILS THAT WOULD FOL
LOW THE PASSAGE or THE FREE-sHIP DILL.
To n, EdftOr Of The Tribune.
SIR: In this great country of ours one of the
richest in the world, with ten thousand miles "f
coast, dotted with great commercial cities ana
manufacturing towns, there IS not single one Oh
our ports on the ocean or lakes that an ordinary
ironclad could not pass" So said Admiral Porter
and no man will question his Judgment. Our old,
superannuated forts have not a single modern gun
to damage an eneniy's ironclad; yet our Congress
recently appropriated only few hundred thousand
dollars to finish small irOnclad which required
plates only seven inches thick for her armor. Ihe
Secretary of the Navy advertised in this country for
bids for those plates, but not one was rendered;
they could not he made IN any of our Navy Yards
nor in any private establishment in this country so
they contracted for in Europe.
Recently Board of officers was appointed TO de-
ternine which Navy Yard should be used for the
manufacture of heavy ordnance, but was unable
give any idea of tho extent or of the cost OF the
necessary plant and was finally sent to Europe to
procure the needed information. This Board has just
made its report, and says that it would require three
years to make the tools and put the plant in order
before the first gun could be made. Three years.
with all their contingencies Can this Nation afford
to wait three yearsi Can we begin too soon Eng
land to-day has in her navy 80 powerful modern
irOnclads with tonnage of 10000 tons, win
the most modern improved guns, and 43l SHIPS
for general service with tonnage of 10000 tons
or 400 ships with a tonnage of 672,OOO TONS
Those ships manned by 1861 officers ana
SO $50 seameu, and supported by an appropriation
for 1852 and 1889 of 500, ,697, 900. Any eight OF
those shps could be seut two to New-York two to
philadelphia, two TO Baltimore, and two TO Boston,
and as we have no ronclad for the defence OF those
ro1J and she'll
those cities; or we could them by raising the
white flag paying the ransom demanded, and swal-
lowing tho deep humiliation France Germany,
Italy, even Chilli, could do the same thing.
When the four cruisers in course of construc-
tion we're first talked Of information was placed
before the Naval Committee bv Government Officers
that they could not De built in the Navy Yards with
ont expensive Improvements, and what was worse,
they had not the skilled labor in the yards and yet
one private establishment contracted To build the
whole and there are other yards fully equipped to
do as much but none of these yards has the faclli-
ties TO make arnor plates of modern size. But to-
dav. with the raw materials at hand from which to
build ships and guns, we have none. Under these
circumstances can you estimate the value of the
private shipvards to the Nation furnishing the
plants and educating mechanics. and thus providing
for the Nations defenco3
Situated as we are without forts. without guns,
without ships without even the facilities for build
ing them in our Navy Yards it be believed that
there is a bill before Congress, and members to ad-
yocate that bill, too TO buy ships IN the cheapest
market aud admit them duty free, while our own
shiuyarts and verything they contain are taxed
for rhe benefit of this Government SUch policy
should raise the blush Of shame 10 the eheck OF
every honest patriotic mau. .-. .,:.,
in he country. We should then be without forts
without guns without ships without shipyardH
and without the skilled labor 10 build them. one
atom rnoro and politicians viii complete the dlsaS
irons chain: break down the shpyards and give
thn Nation up bound hand and foot, 20 English cap-
| fal and English greed. Then where IS tho skilled
| labor 10 come fromI We would De comptlieu 20 20
foI II where have gone for our armor plates; and
| if nothing but cost Is taken into account m inns
country, why not engage England to do our nghtthg
as we'll carrying She - the only Natlon we
Alabama the Trent affair. the blOckade-rnners
Pass the free ship bil and they close the only prac-
tiqal school which educates labor. Depend Upon IT,,
those shpyards which they would 80 ruthlessly qe
strov are of more importance tO us than AnuapOis:
10 cotton and bread must give the credit tor All
| thc respect that other Nations have for u.s. Ger
tany not 10 our means OF defence. A.. -
Rut the advocates of free ships VIII tell us tat we
bnild only "a few iron ships, and consequently the
loss 70 the Nation cannot amount to much ms Is
mistake. We nave now O-e hundred thousand IONS
~ a. GOOD iron shlps a. are produced IN the world
| engaged in the foreign trade. They Were DrOnght
into existence in spite 0f all the opposltloh Pcd up
arainst rs by our rivals and our unjust laws IN
that trade they are manned by J,OOO men, ana ds
in speed far superior 70 our
whole Navy. We have three times that number 0t
fast iron sea gong cOastwse steamers, and the plant
agreed that free trade will ruin this country. VIII
congress pass this bill and thus destroy the SNIP
wards of the country and onr means OF National d9
fence; VIII the common sense OF Iiils gTedI p%eVPio %
allow this industry To be stran"1ed wne an otrer M
interests are protected JOHN hVA'"'
AUr- lOrt. March II, Js>i