New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-02
mistake of attempting the impossible BY building .

mistake Of attempting the impossible by building
diminutive battleship.
The browning argument of the minority report
against batteships, experimental vessels Is set
forth in the form Of four questions, as folows'
l.. "Is II conceded that we have attained to perfect
designs for hus, either under water or above waters
.. ais the arnior OF the future to be compound
armor, steel-faced and ron-backed, in the pastl
Or has steel been devised and fabricated when
will supcrsede compound armorl-a most dimcuit'
doubtful and expensive question, yet to be solved
3. Are triple expansion engines, worked by steam,
the limit OF improvement in Naval propulsionF All
engines made years ago are obsolete now. Has
the faculty of engineers for improvement In motive
power been worked outl
4. ais the butup steel gun now being made
perfect instrument Of destruction, so that 1t Is not 10
be superseded within five. ten or fifteen years y
To these four questions, whether iDalty has been
reached in hus in armor in engines, and In ordnance
every tyro in Naval science, or, indeed In mechanical
science of any description, would unhesltatihgy
answer: mo, OF course not" And 1t may
safely be demurred, If not, what Oh
itl' The fact that nothing in mechanical appliances
can be deemed final to-day is a trusm. Inc mega
tive answer to the questions In the report again
proves too much. If it is conclusive against Duiiu
Ing battle ships, 1t is conclusive against building any
type of armored snip, low iree-boau lhoi.or,
out OF four of the elements referred to, namely NUS
engines and ordnance, IL Is conclusive against puu
Ing any ship whatever. III there were ally ouDoVoNN
In such an argument it would have deferred senator
Chandler, when he was secretary OF the Navy, from
better engine than this might some time be devised.
giving cruisers higher speed, as turned out 10 oc
actually the when the triple expansion engine
adopted, three years later.
Yet no one, and least of all the exsecretary him
which now form the European squadronLadmrable
in spite Of. and In presence OF, the fact tnat we
S %1Id use e pe aSsW There Is no limit to tho
march Of mechanical improvement; and If that pre-
vents from building We shall never nave ave NaV wy
There is more permanence about the hull ana en-,
gines of small gunboat, or the guns ana armor Oh a
monitor than about the hull engines guns ana arnO.
Of battleship the only difference lies in the iact
that batle-ships, for purposes of defence nave Vaue
compared with the other ships ten fold or even
parative cost. As matter Of fact, the time Is
peculiarly pOpltious for constructing batle-shps; our
first ship building experiments have proved tllunP
ant success, and have left question as to the aDy
of our designers and the skill OF our workmeh Inc
manufacture Of armor and gun steel has been aoes
tcated in the United states and we can now, ior
the first time, build and arm an American oattlesnp
terials. $1,000 \,
Finally the type Of armored battlesp a nn hee %,
state in which it was when Mr. Chandler
gaS features w na absolute Snan% opinion
to such extent that the four principal shpDn,dlns
are building today what may be described fairly as
copies Of and the same ship differing IN minor 1hnO
we are ever to have Navy that can fight 4 our
officers and ever to be practlsed WIN a., a
force such as is used in modern war; now - tle
time TO build IL. 1t will take five years TO construct
the ships proposed, and 1t IS obvious lhat no
mere possibility OF constructing a Navy IN i've years
will ever answer for emergency. war, or az
without warming but the warning is never five years.
or even two years in advance. Small cruisers alo
gunboats might be built in this time, but certainty noe
battleships. 49,. .s
Upon the question what the United states needs s
himself who thus stated il in his annual report for
1888: In order to be prepared. not merely by the
actual armament TO assert at all times our natural:
jnstfabo and necessary ascendency in the afairs o,
vessels I'm such numbers as fully TO keep alive the
knowledge war, and of such kind that II snail snail
notice Of being expanded into invincibe squadrons.'
Ii will be for Mr. Chandler to show, when the
bill is put upon its passage how TINS result can can De De
monitors small cruisers and gunbOaIs