Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-07-29
The Japanese on Our Navy.

Tho Japanese Naval Commission. sent
of other nations, with the view OF i'm
proving their own navy, are now at New
York. They have examined the Brook
lyn Navy Yard and the Washington
Navy Yard. One OF the Commissioners
being interviewed, said: "The Brook
lyn Navy Yard Is exactly like the Wash
ington yard, neither one Of them worth
examining No work is going on ut
either place, aud could not find any
ships at either yard that, in naval bat
tie Of to-day, would prove Of the slightest
account. saw ship over at the
Brooklyn yard. named the Swatara. 1t
isa mere wooden concern, and II 1t had
to encounter any sort of an ironclad.
never mind how poor, it would not last
five minutes. Yet it is one of the best
ships that have seen since have been
in this country. When we left Japan
ON our way to England we did not in
tend to spend any time at all in this
country, for we had read such disparag-
ing accounts of the American Navy that
wo did not think it worth our while to
examine it. But when we arrived in
San Francisco we thought that being
here we might as well examine your ma
val system. Japan has very poor
navy, but it is better than yours. do
not think it exaggerating to say that the
harbors of New York and San Francisco
are absolutely unprotected. So far as
can see there ia nothing in or outside of
New York harbor that would prevent a
tirst.class ironclad from destroying this
city. We examined what were called
coast defenses at San Francisco, but
couldn't find any. But | can truthfully
assert am delighted with your ooun-
try"
Thus our grand, patriotic Republican
lingo party has brought us to the pass
that we are scoifed at, and justly so, by
even scmib barbaruus nations, as inoapa-
Bile Of protecting ourselves III case Of at
tack on our greatest cities. Of course,
if the Republican party had disclaimed
being war party, and had, through
principle, refused to foster the navy, the
case would bo different. But it has al
ways, as it does now, held that il is the
great military party, in favor OF all sorts
of martial ideas and undertakings. 1t
has been tinkering with the navy for
twenty-three years. During that time
hundreds OF millions of dollars of the
peoples money have been spent by the
Ro ,esons, the Reaches aud the Chambers,
ostensibly to build up our "navy, -
more than enough to have given us the
best navy in existence and the result is
that even tho eileminate Japs sneer at
our ships of war and naval defenses, and
pronounce them worthless. The truth
is, they are worthless, and all the world
knows it. The immense sums voted by
Congress aud choerfully paid by patri'
otto and willing people, have gone to en-
rich the most corrupt ring that ever
despoiled n uation. And yet the Re
publiaans have the hardihood to ask
people to vote them into power again.
Every Presidential campaign they come
before the country with the same hypo.
critical pretoases aud the same false
promise, as to the future. And every
Presidential election thus far they have
succeeded in beguiliug the masses and
returning themselves to power; and the
consequence has been In every case that
the crowds who have fastened them
selves on the management of the govern
meut have been seven times worse than
their predecessors. The people will see
this does not occur again.