Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-02
THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF
THE NAVY,

are designed IOf ngntlng at sea, ana 81
unarmored ships, few of which are fitted
for open sea work in time of war. England
has 367 ships of war, of which &c are
armored France has 260, of which 81 are
armored Germany has los, with 40
armored Spain has 80, of which y are
armored, and Italy has sc, of which 10 are
armored Turkey, Sweden and Norway,
Austria and Holland all have stronger
navies than the United States; and even
China has more ships and but one less
armored vessel. So, even when the pres
ent building of ships of war is completed,
we will still be below the rank in strength
on the sea of a second-rate power. The
Secretary declares that on the present line
of policy we will be absolutely at the
mercy of States having one-tenth less pop
ulation, one-thirtieth less of wealth, and
but one-hupdredth Of its area. At the same
time we have $4,000 miles of exposed sea
coast, upon which are situated twenty
great centers of population, commerce and
wealth, wholly unprotected from the as
sault of modern weapons of naval warfare,
and constituting the most inviting objects
for attack He says:
ANY one of the powers named could, without
serions difficulty, even afser the completion of
our feet as now authorized, secure i'll single
raid upon our coast, an amount of money suffi-
cient to meet the expenses of naval war; an
amount, one-haf of which, if judieially ex-
pended over series OF years, would be suffi-
cient to afford this country guaranty OF per-
petual peace.
The Secretary declares that the defense
of the United States absolutely requires
the creation of a fighting naval force to
reduce the inequality of conditions and he
concludes:
To meet the attsck of ironelads, ironclads are
indispensable. To carry on even a defensive
war with any hope of success we must have
armored battle-ships. The capture or destruc-
ton OF two or three dozen or two or three score
of merchant vessels is not going to prevent q
fleet of ironclads from Smelling our cities or ex-
acting as the price OF exemption contribution
that would pay for their lost merchantmen ten
times over. We must do more than this. We
must have the force to raise blockades, which
are almost as disastrous to commercial cities as
bombardment. We must have a fleet of battle
ships that will beat off the enemys feet on its
approach for it is not to be tolerated that the
United States with its population, its revenue,
threshold of its harbors. Finally, we must be
able to divert an enemys force from our coast
by threatening his own, for war, though de-
fensive in principle, may be conducted most eff
fectivey by being offensive in its operations. If
the country is to have navy at all it should
have one that is sufficient for the complete and
ample protection of its coast in time OF war. If
we are to stop short of this we might better stop
where we are, and abandon all claim to influ-
ence and control upon the sea. 1t is idle to
spend our money IN building small, slow-goIng
steamers, that are unnecessary in peace and use
less in war. 1t is little better than repetition
of the mistaken policy that prevailed in our
early history, of building gunboats that were
laid up or sold as soon as war broke out The
country needs navy that will exempt it from
war; but the only navy that will accomplish this
is navy that can wage war.
The Secretary does not consider the cost
of proper navy tax upon the country
since it is but the insurance premium we
should pay upon our commerce. industries
and acquired wealth. He AYERS that we
collect in six months, from a single port,
greater sum than we could spend in six
years in constructing a navy. Upon the
question of our reserve strength being sufi-
cient for any EFFICIENCY that may arise, the
Secretary warns the people that fatal
error is made if that fallacy is accepted.
For all naval wars of the future will be
short, sharp and swift 1t is morally GER
tain that they will be fought out with the
force available at their commencement
the nation that is ready to strike the first
blow has an advantage that cannot be par
alleled by any reserve power. The con-
struction of warships that are really eco
nomic is a process slow and consuming
much time. The worst of waste is to
build ships of offense in haste. He asserts
that such is the limited capacity of the
country for this order of construction of
ships of war, that should Congress to-day
order the building of all the ships we need
they could not be constructed in less than
fifteen years, while the first six months OF
naval war would settle it, as in that time
hostile well-armed fleet could destroy
every ship-yard we have, and thus place
us completely at its mercy for whatever
tribute it saw fit to levy.
This is the most important matter
treated in the report, and really absorbs
the greater part of it. No Secretary has
dwelt at such length upon the subject or
with such force. 1t is the most emphatic
report and in the plainest English of any
that have emanated from any of the de-
partments since the war of the rebellion.
1t win go abroad as a complete exposure
of our naval strength to the eyes of the
world, and as an official confession that if
any third-rate Power chooses to line its
purse at our expense all it has to do is to
pick quarrel with US and then dictate its
own terms. If it is said that no Power
will do this because it would realize that
thereafter we would call it to account and
compel it to disgorge, it is to be replied
that naval wars are settled at their com.
pletion, and in the case of country ex-
posed as is ours, the victor would exact
terms that would forever protect him ii
the possession of his booty.
The Secretary refers at length TO the
needs of the Pacific coast, saying that some
of our chief cities and centers of commerce
cannot be successfully protected by any land
force or construction. He therefore ask.
Congress to refuse to be guilty of the
criminal negligence of longer exposing
these ports to the risk of naval assault
He asks that two fleets of battle ships be
at once ordered, and that eight of the yes
sells be constructed especially for service or
the Pacific coast and twelve upon the At
lantic seaboard. He would have, in add.
ton, twenty more vessels than we now
possess for harbor defense, and these forty
ships and floating fortresseses he would
have Congress order built with all the
speed that is consistent with effectiveness
Even then, from the date of his report he
believes it would take five years in the