The Portland daily press., 1889-12-02

The effective force of the United States
navy, when all the ships now authorized are
completed excluding those which by the
process of decay and the operation of law
will by that date have been condemned, will
comprise ii armored vessels, of which only
three are designed for fighting at sea, and 81
unarmored vessels, making a total of AZ.
Secretary Tracy sums up the needs OF the
country in these words:
"The necessities of our vulnerable position
therefore demand the Immediate creation OF
two fleets of battle-ships, of which eight
should be assigned to the Pacific and II to
best of their class in four leading character
istics: armament, armor, structural strength
and speed. The last Is nearly as essential to
the battle ship as 1t is to the cruiser. 1t may
safely be assumed that, other things being
equal, the battle-ship of the highest speed
can choose her position and keep the enemy
at disadvantage. Not only must the speed
of our battle ships be high, but it must be
uniformly high, for the speed of the fleet is
regulated by that of the slowest vessel.
"In addition to the battle-ships, the situa-
ton of the country requires at least twenty
vessels for coast and harb0r defence. These
vessels, although restricted in their range OF
effectiveness, are necessary comp0nents OF a
naval force which has seacOast to defend.
Their employment as floating fortresses re-
quires that they should have powerful pat
terry and the heaviest of armor, combined
with moderate draft. At the present time
eight vessels of this type are under construc-
tion, five of which are reconstructed moni-
tors.
"The one problem now before the govern
ment, in the matter of naval policy, is to
get these forty vessels built at the earliest
possible moment. The steps necessary. to
their completion, namely, legislation, design,
ctr mi aor nnf
years in the case of each one Unless the
existing yards, public and private. are en-
larged and restocked with plant, not more
than eight could be built at one time. and the
construction of the others would have to
wait for the launching of the first. Using
the utmost promptness, the ships most es-
sential to efficient protection could not be
supD)ed in less than twelve or fifteen years.
ut is therefore recommended that the con-
struction OF eight armored vessels be author-
lied at the coming session, and that they pc
of the type of battle ships rather than coast
defence ships; the former being more gener-
ally serviceable, and there being only three
of them now in process of construction as
against eight of the latter.
sin reference to fast cruisers, all modern
experience goes to show that they are essen
tial adjuncts of an armored fleet, and the pro-
portion of three cruisers to one battle ship is
believed to be sound and reasonable. This
would make the future navy consist of 20
cruisers, or 100 vessels in all, which is be-
lieved to be a moderate estimate Of the
proper strength of the feet. OF the 60 cruisers
required, 81 are now built or authorized. For
an increase in the number of cruisers, con-
sidered simply as auxiliaries to the fighting
force of battle ships, we may wisely wait un.
til the latter are in process of construction
The Secretary recommends the building Of
| five torpedo boats and three gun boats. He
refers to the value of fast vessels in the mer-
| chant marine which might be used as cruis-
ers in time of war. The department strongly
recommends the consolidation of the revenue
marine and the navy, and the formation of 9
naval reserve force. The record of the Dol
pbin's cruise around the world shows certain
| statements in the Secretary's report of 1885,
| to be "mere flight of political rhetoric, alb
soiutely without warrant or justification"
The Pension List.
WASHINGTON, December /. - Pension
have been granted to the following Main
| people: onr.sr
| Charles T. Gray, washington.
George E. Currier, Bethel:
Int