Connecticut western news., 1884-12-24
THE NEW NAVY. WHAT OUR NEEDS ARB IN THIS
 DIRECTION. Fast Cruisers-The old Ironclads and the Best Harbor Defenees.
From the New York Hour.l

From the New York Hour.l The loose talk of twenty years has in m order for half a dozen new cruisers for the United States Navy, and it is a singular coincidence that al- most simultaneously with the launching of the first of these there has arisen mighty hue-and-cry about the greatest and most costly navy aAoat. If any one of the maritime powers is qualified by experience to express an opinion in regard to ironclads, that power is Great Britain. Tradition, precedent, interest, nll combine to make it necessary that she should main tain supremacy on that "silver streak" of sea which, more than anything else, distinguishes her from the continental giants.
 It is not twenty years since the Lon- dop Times, or If not the "Thunderer" itself, one of it's conspicuous contem- poraries, said, in effect, that the United States Navy could, in its then condition, dictate terms to any navy aAoat. At the time, our military establishment ashore and afioat was at the high-water mark of efficiency. The little Monitor had revolutionized naval warfare. A year or two later we had no further use for a navy. Five years, and we had sold of our surplus. Ten, and we were practically where we are now-at the foot of the list.
 In the meantime, all Europe had turned it's attention to ironclads, with England, as always, half length ahead. Supposing that she still easily main- tains her lead-whether she does or not her own experts are by no means agreed but supposing that she does actually maintain it, where would she be in 1904 if she should now stop building ships and should sell of or breakup all but few of the best, as we did in the years immediately succeeding the warp Ob- viously, if there is any strength in the argument from analogy, she would be of uo account whatever as a maritime power.
 Her necessities compel her to be, nominally, at least, the greatest naval power on earth. Does she, with all her resources succeed in attaining this end 2 Judging from current discussion in press and Parliament, it is somewhat doubt ful.
 Our necessities are widely different. We need only provide for the defence of our own coast, for the occasional intimi- dation of some savage nation, and for the periodical visitation of foreign ports, more with a view of giving the world ocular proof of our existence than with any other motive. II it is impracticabls 'or England, with her compact home gov ernment and a new and improved iron clad every month or two, to maintain her supremacy, how much more impracti- cable for us who cannot hope for a new ship oftener than once or twice in de- cade
 The contest between ordnance and armor. plating is irrepressible, and, as @ rule, the tendency is for ordnance to go ahead. No sooner has a ship been built which could defy the heaviest existing guns, than science has constructed guns still heavier which could send her to ihe bottom. Armor is always on the defen- sive. It was so in the Middle Ages, when men-at-arms attempted to protect themselves against powder-driven pro lectiles. The armor grew heavier as range and penetration increased, until, finding it impossible to sustain tho weight of adequate armor, it was aban. doned altogether, tactics were reyolu tionized, and men shot at each other a ever-lengthening range.
 So it must be with marine armor. II a few years modern "high explosives will be adapted to the science of pro jectiles, and the thickest steel plates vii be rent like paper.
 What then, should we do2 obviousl, two things. First provide for harbo defence by means of torpedo boats an, floating batteries; and secondly, main tain small fleet of the swiftest steamer afoat.
 The floating batteries need be nothing more than movable forts, either self.pro polling at low rate of speed or adapted for towing from one anchorage to an other, but the cruisers should be all that a sailors loves, sea-worthy, beautiful, and above all, swift American ship builders have always excelled in con structin9 fast boats, and if it Is made tt their interest to do so they will turn ou vessels from which the "ocean grey, hounds" of to-day will find it hard t' escape. Armament is of small account A long rife at bow and stern, or on, alone amidships, with few light broad side guns for short-range work, is al that are necessary. The "high explo sive" ordnance that is to be the artiller, of the near future will be comparstivel light metal and will not require sucl heavy frame work as is now deemed et sential for war-ship.
 A vessel that can steam twenty milet an hour will be useful as long as sh holds together. She will be an objeC of admiration wherever she goes. Sh will be able to help Americans in tim of peace, whenever they may need he aid, and if war should come she can a least exercise wise discretion in keeI ing out of the way of the heavy weights and in running down anything tha wants to get away from her.
 WANT THE EARTH. - The cowboy want track from Texas to the Britis
 line-I 400 miles bv 10. They pls