The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1890-02-01
THE NEW NAVY.

The Senate Committee on Naval
Affairs VIII Report q Bill to Build
Two Hundred and Twenty War
Ships.
WASHINGTON. Specialize senate com.
mittee On naval affairs held an important
meeting to-day, at which, after considerable
discussion, the committee decided upon the
policy which will govern it during this con.
gress in the work of building up the navy
This Is, in brief, that q great ine-of-battle
ships, like the English Ben Bow, should be
constructed at once. Senators Chandler and
the decision reached, and majority and mi.
nority reports will be presented to the sen
ate. Senator Stanford is also not wholly
committed to the decision reached. The
naval policy board, which Secretary Tracy
appointed, made the following recom-
mendations: #
Ten end trst.elass battle ships IT, great o ordnance rance,
to 7,sos tons ss' sseh sD' !sii $685. 'oS S5on E1sss ~ isss;
class class bait battle sa sh HsS limited lint! .l. Srdn as a 500 'sIsos 900
s5~2,ao6,6oo; i've thiedclass battls ships, Inn
tied ordnance, 5000 tons each, $1s,-
$4,000, 900; ono cruising monitor, $500 tons,
81 300 900; eleven rams, one neo OF ~ =, ooo y ten
armored cruisers. $3.50 tons, $Ss.soo,oOo four
first class protected cruisers, 1900 tons each,
$15, 10000; ten first.class projected cruisers,
ond-class protected cruisers, 5000 to 4,5oO
tons each. $22 800, 1000; six third pro-
tected cruisers, 100 to $40 tons each, 49,
SEQ CO., 90 },s ssp t s@n e yssss J. . 500 ,o so,sps si9see ee sos:
pedo cruisers, including Vesuvius, about o
tons each, $500, 900; three torpedo depot arti.
fssT sasiP poa s;oe 60 toms toms s each, e 90, s es:.e &c., 1884, aSi
a cost 81 s ssts. SIS i S ,6oo s''p' u ''''''' ''A' ~
The above total includes $67, 1855 600 al
ready expended, and authorizes an ex-
penditure of $2s1, $50, 1000.
AN ISSUE RAISED.
When the committee proceeded to the
consideration of these recommendations,
the issue was raised as to whether or not it
would be advisable at this time to begin
with the construction Of the immense line
of battle ships, as proposed by the policy
board. Including the harbor defense
monitors, there are forty-four of these YES
sells, and they would cost 500, 400, 600, while
the other 1873 vessels, including lm torpedo
boats at an aggregate cost of 80, 565, 600,
"ooAN NV oAAy PA1t,OIO,OOV CcLldtOAS
Chandler and Mcpherson opposed that part
ofthe policy boards recommendations por-
posing that these vessels should first
be constructed. They said that in
their opinion the United States should con-
tinue its present policy of building fast
cruisers like the Baltimore, Boston, Charles
ton and San Francisco, and gunboats and
torpedo vessels. The cost of these vessels
was comparatively small, and they could
form an %unequaled fleet Of de-
stroyers. The building of the huge line-of-
battle ships should be deferred until we had
a larger number of cruisers, or there was
some exigency calling for their construc-
ton. On this issue the committee divided,
the majority, as previously stated. agreeing
with the policy board. In accordance with
this decision Senator Hale was instructed
to report favorably the bill introduced by
him some days ago %embodyine the recon-
mendations contained in Secretary Tracy's
annual report.