The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-12-12
NAVAL AFFAIRS.
Hxtracte from the Report Of SEQ
fetaTv chandler.
The Three New Ships Launched-The Ne,
cessity for Torpedo Boats-Too Many
NsSy Neutrality-suspicious. and Es-
tiInates-Suggesti6n
SECRETARY cHAN stI,i t-.s.'s kEPoRTE:


SECRETARY cHAN ,tl,i Ltsss REPPoRT.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6.-The annual II
port of the Secretary Of the Navy was made
public yesterday. Secretary Chandler says
three new SHIPS have been successfully
launched, and it has beef shown that cur
steSl-nakerS can readily furnish excellent
material in large qhatltiti9S, 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
6f based tlpoh theories at variance with the
progress Of modern ship building. Compar4
isorls 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, unwieidjj, snd enof.
nous in draft and dimensions In anumDef
of them the pressure for very high
speed is small, and the new cruisers could
6yeftaIg 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 thsit
probable performance; and they viii uff.
doubleday exceed tfiG eStimateS; but this
first unarmed cruisers of the new AtHeticati
feet are not intended for comparison Ill
speed with the unprotected racing ships of
enormous size, or in defensive power with
the modern iron-clads.
The Department. in adopting the recon-
fnendati6n Of the Advisory Board for addi-
tional rev. vessels, calls special attention 10
the necessity for torpedo boats In General
the Secretary recommends The construction
of seven modern cruisers annually fer
period of ten years. Such a plan he says,
while conforming to the conservative de-
mandS of our National policy and affOrding
ample time for adopting every new device
ID CONSTRUCTION, WoHld give the country, at
moderate cost, d navy adequate to train
its officers and mdititsTu it's safety and
honor.
In regard to the existing navy Secretary
Chandler says:
It appears from the condition of the feet
that at the end of fifteen years the only cruis-
ing vessels in the present list remaining will
he three siiall iron V6SselS-tIie MDh0eacy, the
Alert and fhe Rangef. The real explanation
of the dsprSpoftSn Between the Expenditures
and the results accomplished III the naval i'd
ministration is to be found in tbs policy 2f at
tempting at great cost to rehabilitate 7FoffE
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
tnent Of expenditures under the
hfst fiatns during many years shows that it is
Oily too apt to mean the second. The bu-
reaqS are Unrestricted in thGif expenditures
Cor repairs except BY the gross am6pht e
recoustructing vessels Under the name of re-
pair is only preEs3t Bfon which our over
grown navy-yard establishments could be
justified, and it appears that instead OF iiISif,
tanning our yards for the advantage and ben
eft OF our ships, have dragged out a protract-
ed existence for the benefit of the yards.
Concerning the navy yards the Secretary
holds thtt OILY two naval workshops should
be mantaiiled On the Atlantic coast and
one on the Pacific Tie New London yard
should be restored to Connecticut 8nd
League Island yard to Philadelphia Tie
Boston yard should be sold OF 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 Rfare Island. These needed
tertafi Improvements in their organization:
First all politics should BE excluded from
their management; seeOrd 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-
spOnSibl6 steel manufacturers in this cOun-
try who, although not provided at present
with the necessary plant are willing to
construct the same and to make bids for
contracts with the Government for a supply
OF material for the heaviest guns, if guar
anteed that orders of sufficient magnitude
With positive appropriation covering a
series of years, shall be made.by Congress.
Secretary Chandler next details the facts
nODnnnfpd with frauds the RTIrp1u nf
Medicine and Surgery. The amount OF sus-
pected vouchers is S124, 1886, 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.
anent use of the exigency clause, under
which the purchases are made without adj
4ertising.
The expenditures of the department for
the fiscal year ended June 80, 1884, were
ST. ,292, sol The estimate for the ordinary
purposes and public work for the next fiscal
year is $17,860,65S, and the estimates for
the increase of the navy, $15,071,5 72. 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
SUCldl 1ltnUS1tCG III UCudI1 VI
whether for the purpose of obtaining agree
able duty or of effecting the restoration, by
F., ,,,----islation, of those who have been dis
missed For GrrssSs.2,IEenness OF other miscon-
di6t, Or for lneapaCry. He says that
Such restofatioils dettldfalize t1e SSv.o0'
| Public opinion should stefAly condemn
all Wit Hafb beetI guilty OF tflissoi-
duct as well as those Ahc le54a themselves
10 4I,o a
moved. In discussing this subject he refers
to the Presidents veto message on the fitz
| agh1 Porter bill as pointing out the I'M
| constitut 0ndlt5 Of sttch legislation, and as
showing that the Constitution lias 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 aid the development of
| the merchant marine, and shows that to
| make the latter commensurate with trade.
| the coast iiite 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 ire 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 bount1es upon the construction or
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 provision that the contracts
7or 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.
L ArIor.rn,,,