The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-01
THE Z. s. NAVY.
Annual Report Of the Secretary.
The Condition Of the Navy as 1t
VIII Exist on March 4, 1899,
Compared With What It Was
Four Years Earlier.
The Valuo of Unarmed Cruisers
Seen and Appreciated.
Quite a Number of These Have Been
Constructed, and the United
States Stands Second in
This Kind Of War Graft.

luis hlIlO OF Wur SralL
WASHINGTON, Nov. 80. Secretary Whit
"noy has presented his annual report to the
President. After giving brief review OF
the condition OF the navy as ii will exist
on the 4th day of March, 1889, in compar-
ison with the same as il existed on the lth
day Of March, 1885, and furnishing list
OF armored vessels heretofore authorized
by Congress, the Secretary says: So far as
armored ships are concerned, the subject
is yet to be treated in broad way by the
Department and by Congress At the
present time the conditions are such that
everything necessary TO first class fight
ing ship can be produced and furnished to
the Department in this country as soon rs
in the course Of construction any element
or feature is required; but this has never
heretofore until the present time been
true, and therefore the consideration Of the
subject has been necessarily postponed by
the Department until the present time.
The efforts Of the Department in ship
construction have necessarily since March,
1885, been devoted to unarmored vessels,
and rs 10 these the Department Is able to
report that when the ships in course Of
construction and those authorized shall
have been completed, the United States
will rank second among the nations in the
possession Of unarmored cruisers or Com
mcrce dcslroycrs, having the highest char
aclcristics, viz Of a size 5000 tons and up-
al ni a
knots and upward.
The importance which has been placed
upon this branch Of naval armament will
be appreciated from the statement that
England and Franco possess sixty.iiye yes
sells oi the class known as unarmored
cruisers. The attention Of the world was
attracted 10 the destructive effect which
was produced upon the commerce
-'oi the United States 10y the cruis-
crs fitted out under the auspices
OF tie Conicdcacy In the war Of the
rebellion. The total tonnage OF the regis.
tered vessels oi thc United States had
risen year hy year until, in 1851, it
amounted 10 2, 2,Gl2, ,G2S tons, and between
1861 aud 1876 IL Wgs reduced 20 ] ,iH2, ,g9G
tons, or, In other words. 90 the point which
we had reached in lSig from which decline
ae have never recovered The insurance
war risk upon American ves els during the
war rose IN exceptional cases rs high as
- per cent.
Sir Charles Wilson, director general OF
the ordnance survey oi Great Britain, ~
Gently stated that, III there is one point
clearer than another IN the history Of com.
mefcc IL is this, that when state cannot
cllcclullly protect its carrying trade Ia
time oi war, that trade passes from Il aud
does not return
And Lord Charles Ecrcsiord, lately q
member oi the lioari Of Admiralty, in tie
Famc connection stated. To-day 0nc.hglf
Of the people in England would absolutely
have NO bread to eat but for the food that
comes in over the sea. II isa matter OF
life and death for You 10 protect the com
merce, and you have not the ships to do II
with
I'VE cannot at present protect our coast,
but We can return blow for blow, for We
shall soOn bc In condition 10 launch a
fleet Of largc and fast cruiscn against the
commerce oi an enemy ublG 10 inilict the
most serious and lasting injury thereon.
With regard 10 the production Jl power
by machinery, the report says An CN.
animation OF the state ot the ART in 1885,
led 10 the conclusion that the machinery
OF naval vessels ought 10 bc NJ designed as
10 produce ten hone power for each ton Of
machinery; aud IL was determined 30
make that the standard, and 10 enter into
no contracts that were not based subsian-
~-tially thereon. Plans Of machinery werg
purchased abroad which, upon trial, had
approximaicd that result Bidders ven
authorized 20 bid upon the plans thus sub.
mittcd 10 completion, or were permitted
90 submit their own plans, but were
obliged 10 guarantee the results deter
mined upon by the department under
severe penalties for failure and with com
pensatiug premiums In case Of attaining
better results"
Il rcsliu that all the contracts for The
construction Of ships which have been en-
tered into since March, 1885, call for tht
production Of power machinery equal o.
the highest standards. Tho efforts oi th,
Department in this matter have been cor.
dially seconded by thc bureau chiefs, and
II is believed that, ai tho present time, tht
department has reached the point whCrI
entire reliance can hu placed upon Il iof
the production OF war vessels equal iu
character 10 those ui any other country.
1T Is very gratifying 10 be able 10 rc'
port, SAYS the Secretary, that, s viii b,
seen from the following table, rotNith.
riandiug thO large expenditures Tor thC
new navy ~ the lut three yclm. the Tc.
duc,ion in o,hcr directions has made thC
total expenditures oi the Department less
for these ycars than for the three ycln
ending June 30, 1854, the ordinary eK,
pcnsos Of thc department having bccu ru'
duced over ~ Tyr cent
lThc year iSsl-sj was omitted from the
table a. not having been wholly correct .u
either Administration.
Total expenditures Of the Department
for three ycais ending June 80, 1884, com.
pared with lle three yoam en- ing juno
90 1855, items bcirg taken hom report,
Of the Fourth Iudilor oi the Treasury and
distributed under the vuriOv1 objects O
expenditures Tor the yeats ending Jun,
80 lSS2-S3 rnd 1854, wcrc sl1.OiO 3g1,
and Tor tho year, ending June 20, 1885. 81
and 1883, go, ,Sl0,GD.
Under the bead of "Coast aud liarbor
Defense We ,ols' the Secretary states that
"ln the last annual report Of the depart.
mcnt thc considerations NsFc gi,oE lead.
ing 10 the conclLAon that Il would De un
wise for the Department 20 .hlloy iE,
couuc OF tlio Eur Jcan pO'.cm In build
~ inpro,e' Ted rpcdo-bOats, Gnd in thS
present uncertainty ,rga. ling the practica
oi,ity Of flbmar'nc boats, aud while wait