News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-01-15
TIE NEW NAVY.
WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE IN THIS
DIRECTION.
rasI Crufsers-The Old IrOncIads and the
Best HHrhOr DeIences.
From the New York Hour.l

[From the New York Hour1
Ihe loose talk OF twenty years has
eliminated in an order for half dozen
new cruisers for the United States Navy,
aud it is singular coincidence that al
most simultaneously with the launching
of the first of these there has arisen a
mighty hue-aud-cry about the greatest
md most costly navy afoat.
If any one of the maritime powers is
qualified by experience to express an
'pinion in regard to ironclads, that
| power is Great Britain. Tradition,
precedent, interest, all combine to make
it necessary that she should main
tain supremacy on that ''silver streak"
If sea which, more than anything else,
distinguishes her from the continental
giants.
1t is not twenty years since the Lon
Ion Times, or if not the "Thunderer''
itself, Que of its conspicuous coLtem-
poraries, said, in effect, that the United
States Navy could, in Its then condition,
.tictate terms to any navy afoat. At
he time, our military establishment
'shore and afoat 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 navy. Five years, and we had
sold off our surplus. Ten, and we were
lractically where we are now-at the
foot of tue list.
In the meantime, all Europe had
urned its attention to ironclads, with
England, as always, half length ahead.
Supposing that she still easily main
aims 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
{ she should now stop building ships
nd should sell off or break up all but
ew of the best, as we did in the years
Immediately succeeding the WARP OBJ
Siously, if there is any strength in the
trgument from analogy, she wouId be of
10 account whatever as a maritime
over.
Her necessities compel her to be,
lominally, at least, the greatest nava,
power on earth. Does she, with all her
resources succeed in attaining this end
Judging from current discussion in press
md Parliament, it is somewhat doubt
II.
Our necessities are widely different.
We need only provide for the defence of
our own coast, for the occasional intirli-
Dation of some savage nation, and for
he periodical visitation of foreign ports,
more with view of giving the word
,cuiar proof of our existence than with |
my other motive. If it is impracticlble |
or England, with her compact home gov
rnment and new and improved iron
lad every month or two, to maintain her
upTemacy, how much more impracti-
ebIe tor us who cannot hope for new
nip CGteEor than eaec or twice in de- !
ale
The contest between ordnance and
.ruor. plating is irrepressible, and, as a
-,le, the tendency is for ordnance to go
ahead. No sooner has a ship been buitt !
which could defy the heaviest existing |
guns, than science has constructed guns
still heavier which could send her to the
bottom. Armor is always on the defen-
sive. It was SO in the Middle Aces,
when rnen-at-arms attempted to protect
themselves against powder driven pro-
1ectiles. The armcr grew heavier as
range and penetration Increased, until,
finding it impossible to sustain the
weight of adt quate armor, it was aban-
toned altogether, tactics were revolu-
tionized, and men shot at each other at
ever-leDgthening range.
So it must be with marine armor. In
a few years modern "high explosives
will be adapted to the science of pro-
iectiles, and the thickest steel plates will
be rent like paper.
What then, should we do? Obviously
two things. FIRST provide for harbor
defence by means of torpedo boats and
floating batteries; and secondly, main
tain small feet of the swiftest steamers
ahoat.
The floating batteries need be nothing
more than movable forts, either self pro-
peIling at low rate of speed or adapted
for towing from one anchorage to an
other, but the cruisers should be all that
sailors loves, sea-worthy, beautiful,
and above all, swift. American ship
builders have always excelled in con-
structing fast boats, and if it Is made to
their interest to do 80 they will turn out
vessels from which the "ocean grey
hounds" of to-day will find it hard to
escape. Armament is of small account.
A long rife at bow and stern, or one
alone amidships, with few light broad
side guns for short range work, is all
that are necessary Tne "high explo-
sive" ordnance that is to be the artillery
of the near future will be comparatively
light metal and will not require such
heavy frame work as is now deemed es-
it'll so,- chin
A vessel that can steam twenty miles
an hour will be useful as long IS she
holds together. She will be an object
of admiration wherever she goes. She
will be able to help Americans in time
of peace, whenever they may need her
aid, and if war should come she can at
least exercise wise discretion in keep
ing out of the way of the heavy weights,
and in running down anything that
wants to get aWay from her