Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-02
UNCLE SANS NAVY.
Secretary Proctor Submits an Elaborate
and Interesting Report.

anu AhlcHestiHS INepOrts
WAsHINGToN, December 1st-The report
of the Secretary of the Navy Department,
given publicity tonight, says The effective
force of the United States navy, when all
the ships now authorized are completed,
excluding those which by process of decay
and operation Of law will by that date have
been condemned, will comprise eleven ar
mored vessels Ct which only three are de-
signed for fighting at sea, and thirty one
unarmored vessels, making total of forty
two.
If the country is TO have navy at all, it
should have one that is sufficient for COM
plete and ample protection Of its coast in
time OF war.
If we are to stop short of this we might
as well stop where we are and abandon
the claim 10 influence and control upon
the sea. 1t is idle to spend our money in
building small, slow-going steamers that
are unnecessary in peace and useless for
war.
1t is little better than a repetition of the
mistaken policy that prevailed in our early
history, of building gunboats that were laid
up or sold as soon as the war broke out
The country needs a navy that will ex-
empt it from war but the only navy that
will accomplish this is navy that can
wage war.
The policy of military ACKNOWLEDGMENT
is totally repugnant to our institutions and
is likely never to be entered upon. The
present question has nothing to do with
such a policy, 1t is practical business
question of insuring our property and our
trade, in which the commercial cities of
the coast portion, our lake frontier and
centers of production in the interior are
alike interested.
The navy's war ships when the popula-
ton numbered thirty millions included
ninety vessels of all classes. Before the
completion of the present programme,
which will give total of less than half that
number, the population will have more
than doubled, and the wealth of our coast
snbject to injury or destruction will have
increased tentold
The annual increase of wealth in this
country is estimated to equal that of Eng
land, France and Germany and before it
can create an effective navy its population
is certain to exceed that of any two of
these Powers combined.
Such nation cannot be indifferent to the
events taking place in close proximity to its
own coasts, threatening the freedom of its
commerce and the safety of its sea shore.
Troubles that have arisen and that will
continue to arise in the Gulf of Mexico
and on the Pacific Ocean concern the pros
perity and development of the United
States too closely to be ignored and our
interests in these localities are too import
ant to be left longer unprotected.
The cost of building the navy casts no
perceptible burden upon a country of our
vast resources. II is premium paid by
the United States for the insurance of its
acquired wealth and its growing industries,
and compared with the interests that are
secured, the rate is low.
1t is cheaper price to pay for safety.
We collect in duties in six months in
single port q greater sum than we could
spend in building new navy in six years.
For the past two years the Government
has paid its creditors for the privilege of
disseminating its debt, before it was due,
twice the sum we have spent in its recon-
struction.
The performances of some of the new
vessels is noted. The Secretary then pre-
sents his compliments to Secretary Whit
ney as follows: IN view of these facts, the
extraordinary statement put forth in the
Secretary's report for 1886, and never after
ward corrected, that the comparison of
these vessels with the Esmeralda and other
foreign ships indicates simple abandon
ment on the part of the Department of an
attempt to reach the conditions which
should have been attained" musi be set
down as a mere fight of political rhetoric,
absolutely without warrant or justification.
If the Departme ent requires any vindicatIon
from such charge, lis complete vindica-
ton is to be found in the vessels them
selves
Referring to the necessity for the new
and improved plants for ship-building, the
Secretary says:
On the Pacific coast there are large and
growing interests of vital Importance, not
only to that immediate neighborhood. but
to the whole country throughout its length
and breadth.
Among the enterprising and rapidly.
growing cities which form the bulwarks of
our commercial property in that quarter
there are some, like Tacoma and Seattle,
which it is physically impossible to protect
by any land Notifications.
To abandon these cities, defensible only
by navy. to the possible attacks of an
enemy, and to subject to needless risk
this coast and the vast region which it bor-
ders-a region second in importance to no
other part of the United States-is to be
guilty of almost criminal negligence.
The necessities of our Vulnerable posi-
tion therefore demand the immediate erec-
ton of two fleets of battle ships. of which
eight should be assigned to the Pacific
OOoots nhb w CAfC " tA4S Oul.
They must be the best of their class in
four leading characteristics = armament,
armor, structural strength and speed.
The last is nearly ss essential to battle
ships as it is to cruisers. 1t may safely be
assumed that, other things being equal,
q battle-ship of the highest speed will as a
rule be the victor in an action, for she can
choose her position and keep the enemy at
disadvantage.
In addition TO battle-ships, the situation