Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-06-03
OUR NAVAL ESTABLISHMENT.

~
As the steel cruising ships provided by
the last Congress approach completion,
the question OF the condition Of the naval
arm Of the Government comes upper
most, and demands hearing. Reduced |
to plain facts, the case is somewhat as |
follows: The United States has some
5000 miles Of sea coast, all OF which
carries deep water close in on the land,
for the ofF.shore protection OF which she
has thirty-seven old-iashioned wooden
steamships, armed with old-fashioned
cast iron smooth-bore guns, to he served
with old-fashioned ammunition, which,
when it was needed, had an old-fashioned
way of being almost worthless. She has
list OF the ablest naval officers in the
world. but they are powerless for effective
good abroad when walking the deck
of rotten shell, and they deeply
feel their humiliation. This was proven
in the Chili-Peruvian war OF 1880,
when the Peruvians seized upon
the persons of the British and
| American Ministers. The British iron
clads corralled the entire outfit on both
sides and would and could have blown
them out of existence, but that the Min
lister was delivered up and ample apology
made. The Americans had two ships in
port, the Lackawanna and the Adams,
carrying jointly twenty-five guns, four OF
which were eleven-inch bore, yet both
could be sunk in ten minutes by a Chilian
torpedo boat, and their commanders
knew it, so they had to be content to OBJ
tain Minister Christancy through British
instrumentality. This was the state OF
affairs when the Democratic Administra-
ton came into power, and keenly feeling
the necessity OF some improvement, the
President embodied the following in his
first message to Congress:
r All must admit the Importance of al
effective Navy to n nation like ours, having
such an extended seacoast to protect. Ye
we have not n single vessel of war that coult
I keep the seas against first-class vessel o.
, any important power. Suoh condition
I ought not longer to continue. The ndtio,
opposed TO IL. Its foreign policy is of neces
sity weak, and its negotiations are con
|, Quoted with disadvantage, because It ID no
in condition to enforce the terms dictate,
: by its sense of right and Justice.
i, In view of the defenceless condition Q
J, our coast, and the ridiculous position q
!, our Ministers abroad, some decided ste
i. should be taken to build navy equal il
!, speed and armament to any afloat, no
:, let the cavilings OF few countr
:. lawyers in Congress, and a few sore
:, headed and superannuated old admiral
affect the decision. The country doe
not desire to wait to see il the Britis
~ ships now building will turn turtle G
y. not. We have the brains, mechanics
>, skill, and money TO build better ship
{, than any OF them, and they should O
= once be put in action, to give us n nav
:, commensurate in power with our ii
!. terests abroad, our safety at home, an
!, our national dignity in general.
i necessary, let Congress lop off the $500
600 for the improvement OF Shirt Ia
~ creek, and the $350,0O0 for Il dam {
- Graveyard landing on the Roaring Forl
-. and several other like items from tn
% appropriation for rivers and harbors, an
put the money at the disposal of Secrt
- tary Whitney, who was born with prid
- in the prestige OF his country, at HON
=, and abroad, and then we can have
- - navy that will not excite the jeers
= foreigners, and the ridicule OF our ow
people.