The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-12-02
UNCLE SANS NAVY.
Secretary Tracy Congratulates
the Country On Its Growth.
COAST AND HARsoR DeFEnsEs.
Lacking yavigAbie Outlet. Lake wash
ington win Not BE the site az
. Navy Hard.


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 viii
by that time have been condemned. will
comprise IL unzrmored vessels, Of which
cnly three are designed for lighting. and
thirty-one armored vessels. making to-
tai Of forty-two. By comparison With
the number of war vessels Of
the PRINCIPAL foreign powers, it appears
when the present bailding programme Is
completed, the United States, as far as its
capacity for defense is concerned. win then
be at the mercy OF states having less than
one-tenth OF the population. one-thfrteenth
of the wealth and one-hundredth of its
area.
aThe cost OF building = navy casts no
perceptihle burden upon = country OF our
vast resources. Compared with the inter-
ests TO be aecnred the rate Is low The
United States collects in duties IN six
months at single port greater sum than
We could spend in building a newnavy IN six
years. Ii In q fatal mistake 10 say that
our reserve strength is sufficient 20 tmpro-
wise force in time OF war. Naval wars IN
the future will be short and sharp. Lay
ing aside the time it takes TO construct
war snip, the limited capacitysof our es-
adjustments, public and private is fur
Their cause of delay. II congress were
ready TO authorize the construction OF
all ships thai we needed Il
would be mechanical imposs-
ioility for this country with
its present appliances to furnish them
within fifteen years" In speaking OF the
eight new cruisers contracted for or built,
the secretary says; I'm looking back at
the work Of naval construction begun
seven years ago the country hiss reason 70
feel congratulated at the undertaking. The
performances az sea Of the Boston, Atlantis,
and Dolphin were extremely salts
factory. The Charleston, Of $3.50 tons.
shows 66S6 rs horse power. ls2
knots average speed for four hours,
and lS.3 knots of speed during the best
hour. OF the four. the Japanese Naniwa,
of 8. 100 tons, built Ia England frsm the
same designs, has made 1860 horsepower
and 1919 knots average speed.
sit is a noteworthy fact that most OF our
new vessels, namely the Baltimore. Chi
cago, Boston, Dolphin and Yorktown,
have at the later trials, or Ia the later SER
vice beaten their own records on contract
trial; and II Is equally a fact that the usual
experience with European vessels is just
the other way"
In speaking at length on the increase Of
the navy, Secretary Tracy says that be-
cause we have laid good foundation we
must not deceive ourselves by supposing
we have an effective navy. The necessi-
ties of our Vulnerable position demand the
immediate creation OF two fleets Of battle
ships, OF which eight should be assigned
to the Pacifc and twelve to the At
lantic and Gulf In addition 70
the battle ships. the situation Of the c0un
try requires at least twenty vessels for
coast and harbor defense. 1t Is therefore
recommended that the construction Of
eight arlnored vessels be authorized az the
coming session. This would make the
future navy consist OF twenty battle ships,
twenty coast defense ships and sixty
cruisers, or 100 vessels in all. which Il be-
heved TO be q moderate estimate OF
the proper strength OF the feet
OF the sixty cruisers required thirty
one are now built or authorized
While the department Is OF the opinion
that in general II il best for ships to be
built by private firms. il Is still advisable
that the navy should build some OF its
ships. The government naval station
should be utilized for this purpose. What
ever policy may be adopted by congress
In reference 20 new navy yards or
the reopening of those tina. are now ciassed
by law, any extension Of the existing sys-
TEN should be made with caution The
secretary is not prepared to recommend
the construction of a naval station at
either Of the points on Puget sound sug-
gested by the commission. of which A. 4.
Mahan was president Tie commission.
while il stated their opinion that a
suitable site could be found on
Lake Washington decided In favor Of
Point Turner. mainly on strategic grounds,
as Lake Washington has no natural navi-
gable outlet, Ii could only be
made available. the secretary says. by the
construction Of a canal OF some four miles
in length. The department cannot recon-
mend that the canal be built solely for the
benefit OF q possible navy yard on the lake.
Until the department sees some prospect of
sach canal, &c cannot recommend tLis site,
and If the canal should not be built, q sta
ton should he estahlis he'd nj Port Turner