Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-09-18
OUR NAVY IN CHIk A.
Six Vasssis 20 FTots OF Americans iTt m
Ansi.FsTslgl OutbuIs.s.

WASHINGTON, Sat. 1.-THE Attention
OF the Nav, Dtpsr ment has been Called t.
the fact that, twing 30 the outrsg7s agalBt
the foreigners il CHR a, the European pow
ers have about decided on naval demon.
strHtion.
Secretary Tracy, therefore, has made
the following statement respecting the
oiicy OF the Navy Department in sueDg h
ening the United States naval force il
Chin ga waters:-
''When the. present administration came
into Office on tue Attn of March, 1889, there
were attached to he Asistic ss~ IoG the
Marion, she Omshs, the Pslcs AID the
s 7atarR. The Sv stsrs will be condemned
ind sold, 80 -epRifs need ID mot bs made
vi hin the 20 per cent iimit. The Onaha
is 1T San Frsnc,,co; bus in place of these
Two four more have been sent there, the
Lancaster, Alliance, Ale. and Monocclcy.
This will make six vessels on the China
station, which is about the usual MN Der
which has constituted the Asistic feet for
the last eleven years, thus making by far
the most efficient if not the largest ,qusdron
we have had at the station for years. In
addition to the above, the Petrol has rs-
Gently been detached from the North At
lsntic ,quadron, and has been ordered to
proceed to China. II, however, American
missions and American citizens in China are
to rely upon qurbosts for their protection
rather than upon she Chinese gcverrm ms Mt,
our feet in these waters mast be very
largely increased.
"Ail Of our lates. ships are designed TO
csrry torpedoes. When, therefore, ne
have determined upon the torpedo which
We are to use every vessel must be com
pleted at our navy ysrds b. The ineer. on o!
its torpedo tubes and hupcbing apparatus,
and our officers ard men must De taught in
the home sta ION how 10 use them.
at is hoped that before the close OF the
present year we shall succeed in producing
successful torpsdo, and hat we will then
be in q position to 60 on and complete our
ships, which are st present, for the reasons
siven, b. no means in q condition Of nor
NAL effectiveness.
Experience has show n that il would be
unwiss to take ship from the bands Of the
contractor and at once send her to perma-
nent dusy on . dis,snt s.s..on. As was to
have been expected, many defects have
been developed in our rev constructions
sir ce thsy hsva been placed in commission.
II must be realized tat in the production
Of war mster!sl, including ordnance, equip
mess, elecd.c lighting, gun protection, etc,
since much of ii Is Of an entirely novel
character in this county, tha' errors Of
Judgement and Of design msy occur, and it
Is therefore necessary that these devices
shall receive the test of certain amount Of
experience before sending them 80 far from
home, where alterations, substitutions, or
repairs msy become . matter Of great ex.
pense, and pefhsps, on certain stations, Of
imp-s cticsbility.
We are completing our new ships -
rapidly ~ possible. but Until they are fully
completed and equipped and tested by actual
experience nesr home workshops, 1t would
be mere foolhs'di1ess to send them to
China Since 1889. the Department has
trars'eHsd from Atlantic to Pacific. the
Baltimore, the Lancaster, the Alliance, and
the Pens.cnis, which together with the |
Petrol ard Yorktosn recently ordered to
the Pacific, would made in all six vessels.
"Of the rev chips the Pacific now has |
the San Francisco, the ChsfIessop, and |
Baltimore; and will have the yorktown |
al Petrol. Our naval force today ia the |
Pacific il more than twice - ffective - . |
military force - il hss been any previous |
time in the history Of our navy"