The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-03-12
OUR DEFENsEs.


WASHINGTON, March 6.-The House
committee on naval affairs has completed
its report to accompany the bill to provide
for naval establishment. The report says:
owe have no rival in the Western Cont
nent, and feel Justly secure against any
attack an enemy might make upon US by
land. but we are without adequate means
of defending our foreign or coastWise
commerce, and the cities east along our
long line of sea coast are absolutely at the
mercy of any second-rate naval power of
the world. We believe this Government
should at least create navy
which viii be respectable in size,
and that we should demonstrate
our capacity to increase it rapidly to any
required extent. Our navy is not equal
to what it was in 1860. In the meantime
all other maritime nations, proflting by
the lessons taught during our civil war,
have We'd with each other in improving
their navies. Our heaviest granite wall
is only eight feet thick, while an eight
ton English gun has thrown a prOjectil9
through twenty-five feet of granite and
cement. No masonry can withstand such
q fire. Even seventy-flve feet of earth
would probably not resist it, and if it
would troops could not, without either
protection work the cannon under the
CALLING fire of modern machine guns. Be
sides the rapid firing guns, every modern
armOred vessel carries rifie-guns ranging
six, eight, ten and twelvc-inch and up
ward. There is not a town or city along
our seacoast from which tribute could
not be successfully exacted by any
modern feet"
Estimates arc given that the value of
destruclible property subject to the fire
Of an enemy's guns is as follows: At
Portland, S33, 900, 900; Boston, $47I ,000,-
900; New York, 1855, 900, 900; Jersey
City, $l13, 900, 600; Philadelphia. $780,
900, 900; Baltimore, $2I9. 900, 900; New
Orleans, $l76,000, 600; San Francisco,
$3.50, 900, 900.
Foreign nations have not only i'm
proved their vessels and their guns,
bnt have lined their coasts and harbors
with heavy iron and steel clad forts.
The Importance of the torpedo in
warfare is mentioned at length, and the
committee observe that although our sys-
tenn of submarine mines or stationary
torpedOes have reached a considerable
degree of perfection, an hostile feet
protected from our shore batteries by
its armor, could with impunity
by means of automobile tOrpedoes blast
its way through all such distractions.
We are, therefore, absolutely helpless
against an Invasion from the sea, so
helpless that the committee would
hesitate to publish the fact to the world
were it not everywhere else better known
than to the people of America.
The report embodies a list of the
naval fleet as at present composed, and
states that we are not only at the mercy
OF European nations, but that our neigh
Dor Brazil might exact tribute of any city
llOnG our Gulf or Atlantic coast, while
Chilli could enforce similar demands on
the shores of the Pacific. 1t is the unan-
imOus opinion of the committee that the
United St9tcs Government ought not
longer to permit the lives and property
Of American citizens to be thus manifest
~ held at the mercy of so many foreign
nations. 1t is a grave question to decide
In what proportion, between the erection
of coast Notifications and additions to
our naval establishment, expenditures
should be divided, and the committee
concludes that il is not its province to
decide the question.
The report takes up and discusses at
ength the advantages of various charac-
ters Of vessels recOmmcn by the bill
reported and heretofore published, and
reviews the details of the bill as 1t relates
to the characters of the vessels, the mate
riaIs to be employed and the discretion
aFy power the bill vests in the Secretary
Of the Navy.
The committee express great conf
lcnce in the results which will follow in
competition By having the work done by
private parties, and say that it is enough
for the Government to have her yards in
suitable condition to do all kinds of re-
pairs.
The committee believe it better to del
egate to the Secretary OF the Navy as
much discretion as possible, holding him
responsible for the judgment he may CX-
ercisc, rather than to give him full in-
structions about the work in the face of
the bill
1t is hoped by the adoption of the bill
that VIC shall soon build the best naval
engines.
The report, referring to the unfinished
monitors, says that one striking advantage
of those vessels viii be the small amount
of surface presented as q target for the
enemy's guns.
In conclusion It says: "Opinions diff
fer as to what classes of vessels would
be the most efficient considering the
money expended: NaYies, like armies,
must have different arms. of service.
Your committee believing this, have
sought to distribute the money which the
Government can afford to expend during
the next fiscal year ratably among such
vessels as seem to be mosturgently needed.
We trust the bill VIII meet the appreciation
of both Houses OF Congress, and that its
enactment into law may, as an important
step toward the creation of an efficient
navy, contribute to feeling of increased
national security. At present such a
feeling Of security, among well-informcd
people, can only come from the belief
that no nation viii dare attack another
when it is helpless"
The rcpor! was unanimously adopted.
WAsHNGToN, March 6.-The Naval
Construction bill was considered by the
House naval committee yesterday for the
purpose Of adding to it a clause directing
the Secretary Of the Navy to construct
three dry-docks, one at Norfolk, one at
Boston and one at Brooklyn, to cost
5000, 900 each. The resolution was Of
fcred by Representative McAdoo, and ap-
pr0priates 81 900 900 to start the work.
The vote was tic-G TO 6-aud the re-
suit was left to be decided by the alb
scntees. Chairman Herbert said last
night that this proposition may possibly
delay final action on the bill.