Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-01-14
AN ENGLISH OPINION.
Our Progress Toward . New Navy Pro
 nounced Remarkable.

Our Progress Toward . New Navy Pro
 nounced Remarkable.
 Englishmen can not help being inter- sted in the remarkable strides which lave been taken on the other side of the Atlantic, where the rehabilitation of the navy of the United States is being pushed ahead with the character istic energy of our American cousins. If, perchance, there are any who have not taken note of what is there going on, the imminent advent of four new and important cruisers in our waters should direct their attention that way. It is not so much, however, that the United States have made a very good beginning toward building up modern navy-this is but trifle where money is no object'-but there have also been developed in the country facilities of every kind for the creation of that navy without outside assistance. This can hardly yet be said of any other power except France and Great Britain. In 1885 it was not only the case that the United States had no vessel of war which could have kept the seas for one week as against any hrst-rate naval power, but they were ab- solutely dependent upon our manu- factories for forgings of guns, for armor, for machine and rapid-are guns and the like. Now, four years later, not only has much been done in the way of con structing vessels, which arc as good as any thing of similar type afloat, but ar engagements have been made by which they will be ablc shortly to create en- tirely from their own resources every modern implement of war, including steel-clad battle-ships of the heaviest , tonnage, with their guns and armor.
 By the end of this year tho Bethlehem Iron Company, of Bethlehem, Pa., one of the largest steel manufactor in the States has guaranteed to have erected the plant for the production of armor and gun forging of the largest kinds. Other companies have taken in hand the supply of war materials and within the last month three or four firms have rendered bids for the con- struction of cruisers, and similar num- Der for the provision of steel projectiles. Moreover, there is now nearly com pleted at Washington an ordnance fac tory for finishing heavy naval ordnance and all the necessary plant for handling gun forging up to the quantity required to make the very largest guns afloat. Nearly half a million sterling has been , expended, or is in the course of expend- iture, on this factory alone. Of devel- opments which VIC may call by com . parison minor, there is the opening of a new dock 46O feet by seventy-nine by ! twenty-seven and half feet, at Mare Island, San Francisco, and another at Newport, Pa., within the last fortnight, which is 600 feet by ninety-thrce feet by twenty-five feet. Tho Americans have quite evidently realized that as they arc obliged to spend money on navy the disbursements may as we'll be for their own bene1itaS not.
 It will be seen that the United States are in earnest in the intention of re- suming their position as q naval power. It is, however, somewhat significant that at present all this construction seems to tend in the direction of vessels more fitted to run away from an antagonist oi real weight than to sustain the glorious traditions of the American sea service
 With but ono or two exceptions, these ships are better prepared to destroy com
 merce than to protect it. There is nc sign of fleet fitted to cope with Flu. ropean armor-clads if they crossed the Atlantic, as they have done before. After all, though, it is better to crawl before trying to run, and we may yet sec designed, layed down, and built by na. tive talent in a United States navy
 yard, that cruX of naval constructions
 tho ''battleship of tho future. ."-Londor : Army and Navy Gazette.