Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1884-12-11
NAVAL AFFAIRS.
EXTRACTS nom the Report OF SEQ
rotary Chandler.
ne Three New ships Launched--The Me-
cessity for Torpedo Boats-roo Many
Navy neutrality-suspicious. and Es-
timates-Suggestions.
rrcRErARY cHANDIER's REPORT.

port of the Secretary OF the Navy was made
public yesterday. Secretary Chandler says
three new ships have been successfully
launched, and it has been shown that our
steel-makers can readily furnish excellent
material in large quantities, its high quality
being assured by the tests adopted. The de-
partment is confirmed in the opinion that
the criticisms advanced last year against
the new ships were of little moment
or based upon theories at variance with the
progress OF modern ship-bullding. Compar-
isons of the speed of the new cruisers with
that of the great transatlantic racing
steamers are unfair, because the latter at
tain their speed only by sacrifice OF the
qualities that are essential TO a ship-of-war.
They are unprotected, unwieldy, and enor-
nous in draft and dimensions In number
of them the pressure for very high
speed Is small, and the new cruisers could
oVertake ninety-six per cent OF the mer-
chant steamers of the world. The rates of
speed assigned to the new ships are based
on very conservative calculation OF their
probable performance, and they VIII I'M
doubleday exceed the estimates; but the
first unarmed cruisers of the new American
fleet are not intended for comparison in
enormous size, or in defensive power with
the modern iron-clads.
The department, in adopting the recon-
mendation of the Advisory Board for addl-
tional new vessels, calls special attention to
the necessity for torpedo boats. In general
the Secretary recommends the construction
of seven modern cruisers annually for a
period of ten years. Such a plan, he says,
while conforming to the conservative de-
mands of our National policy and affordng
ample time for adopting every new device
in construction, would give the country, az
q moderate cost, navy adequate to train
its officers and maintain its safety and
honor.
In regard to the existing navy Secretary
Chandler says:
IL appears from the condition of the fleet
that at the end of fifteen years the only cruis-
| ing vessels in the present list remaining viii
be three small iron vessels-the Monocacy, the
| Alert and the Ranger. The real explanation
of the disproportion between the expenditures
and the Ees@lts 90 n the naval al aa
| tempting at great cost to rehabilitate worn
out structures under the name OF repairs.
| Repair and construction in the absence
| of fixed limit are terms easily In
| Interchangeable, and the published state
ment Of expenditures .. under r !, the
| only too apt TO mean the second. The bu-
| reaus are Unrestricted in their expenditures
Spsoce OF
| reconstructing vessels under the name of re-
| pair is only pretext upon which our over
grown navy-yand establishments could be
| Justified, and IL appears that instead of main
| tanning our yards for the advantage and BEN
eft of our ships, have dragged out protract-
ed existence for the benefit of the yards.
Concerning the navy yards, the Secretary
holds that only two naval workshops should
| be maintained on the Atlantic coast and
| one ON the Pacific. The New London yard
should be restored to Connecticut and
League Island yard to Philadelphia. The
| Boston yard should be sold or reduced in
size. The Pensacola and the Portsmouth
yards may be kept for naval stations. The
workshops would then be at New York,
Norfolk and Mare Island. These needed
certain improvements in their organizations
their management; second, the response
bility for the work must be more definitely
fixed.
The Gun-foundry Board was reconvened
In April to decide on full plans and esti-
mates to carry out its recommendations. 1t
has obtained information that there are re-
sponsible steel manufacturers in this coum-
try who, although not provided at present
4 with the necessary plant, are willing to
construct the same and to make bids for
contracts with the Government for supply
of material for the heaviest guns, IL guar
anteed that orders of sufficient magnitude,
with a positive appropriation covering a
series of years, shall be made by Congress.
Secretary Chandler next details the facts
connected with frauds in the Bureau of
Medicine and Surgery. The amount of sus-
pected vouchers is S124,SS extending over
period from 1876 to 1884 The Surgeon
General neglected to require the customary
evidence that the goods had been received.
The frauds were made easier by the fire.
Quent use of the exigency clause, under
which the purchases are made without adj
yeItising:
the fiscal year ended June 80, 1854, were
S17,292, 601 The estimate for the ordinary
purposes and public work for the next fiscal
year is ST, 860,65S, and the estimates for
the increase Of the navy, SIS, OIL, sra. OF
this latter sum about one-half will be need
ed for the coming fiscal year.
The Secretary comments severely upon
the existing practice of securing the sOlic-
itation of persons possessed of political and
social influence in behalf of officers,
whether for the purpose of obtaining agree
able duty or of effecting the restoration, by
legislation, of those who have been dis
missed for drunkenness or other miscon-
duct or for incapacity. He says that
such restorations demoralize the sevice.
Public opinion should sternly condemn
all who have been guilty of mscon-
duct as well as those who lend themselves
to efforts for the restoration of officers re-
moved. In discussing this subject he refers
to the Presidents veto message on the Fitz
John Porter bill as pointing out the UNI
constitutlonalty Of such legislation, and as
showing that the Constitution has provided
an effectual barrier to any restoration by
legislation of particular officers"
In conclusion the Secretary dwells upon
the close connection between the improve
ment of the navy and the development OF
the merchant marine, and shows that To
make the latter commensurate with trade,
the coast line, and number and wealth OF
the commercial cities, it is necessary to have
| great lines of ocean steamships of high
speed and large capacity, carrying
the flag to the most distant lands,
and saving to the American people
the vast profits of the carrying trade.
| The only way to accomplish this result,
he says, Is through direct encouragement
| given by the Government either in the
form Of bounties upon the construction OF
by payment for carrying the mails, so that
| American CAPITALISTS will be induced to EN-
bark in the business. The recent enactment
repeating the laws requiring all Amer.
lean vessels arbitrarily TO carry for.
eign mails, he says, should be supple.
mented by a provision that the contracts
for carrying such mails in American line
steamers over all the principal ocean high
ways should be let for terms Of years to the
lowest bidder, adequate compensation there
for TO be paid by the Government upon the
same principle as that adopted In establish
ing the great National post-routes on land.
/ Drowned.