Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-01

NAVY CANNOT BE BUILT N DAY-sECRETARy
TRACY CALLED ATTENTION TO oUR pEFESsELEss
CITIES. But No ATTENTION WAS PAID TO IT.
Army and navy officers talked a good deal
this morning about the action Of the italian
government yesterday. They did not appre-
bend war, but nevertheless the prospects Of an
evil turn in the negotiations which
might lead to the unlimited appearance
Of the dreaded Italian feet in our Atlantic
harbors was not lost sight of. Commodore
Ramsay, in charge of the navigation bureau of
the navy. is the officer by whose order our
ships move from port to port and are manned.
bureau would in case Of war be the to out
line and direct plans Of campaign on the waters.
He was asked this morning what was the con-
dition of our naval defenses. Said he: How
many battle ships do you suppose we have?
Just one-the double-turretted monitor Mian-
tonomoh-now at the New York navy yard.
and she is not completed. But one OF
her turrets is equipped with guns. However,
by pressing forward we might finish her in a
month. The old monitors which fought dur
ing the late war would be of little value against
the powerful battleships of European navies.
The guns carried by these vessels could send
projectile through one side and out Of the
other side of any turret on the monitor feet
which now lies below Richmond on the James
river.
We AHE BUILDING TWO BATTLE SHIPS.
We are building two battle ships, but many
months will be required in which to complete
them and many more to arm and plate them
with armor. The armor has not vet been
rolled. 1t is idle to talk of building navy in a
few months. The views set out by
Gen. Ingalls, in his naval article are certainly
not believed by himself. 1t is ridiculous to
naval experts to hear and boast of repeating
yva yrSrsa
pitted against people without navy and almost
without the possibilities OF one. We swelled our
naval list rapidly to over 500 vessels. But what
did they amount to? Anything that would
serve as gun platform or carry gun was
bought or built. 1t was not necessary that they
should be able to resist attack, because there
was no foe ahoat to oppose them. We could
get many of this kind of craft, of course, but
they would be OF no service as against foreign
naval power. The ''tin plates" as the vessels
protected with boiler iron were called, on
and western rivers could also be easily pro-
cured. bu. they would be as worthless as the
others. They could barely resist the fire of
oid-fashioned firearms and were knocked to
pieces by small field piece fire.
THE NEW CRUISERS.
Our new cruisers-about dozen in number
would be Of service and would be fought for
all that they are worth. But they were never
intended to stand before armored battieships
or against anything else than such unarmored
vessels as their own class. They would how
ever, be useful to destroy the lines of water
communication by which foreign naval force
on our coast must receive their coal and sup
plies
In conclusion, Commodore Ramsay said he
did not feel that New York was in imminent
danger even in the event of war. The heavy
draft Italian war ships could not sue
cessfully lombard the city without en-
tering the harbor, and they were not
likely to enter the harbor because, aside
from the perils OF navigation, certain prepafa-
der the water untenable for them. Submarine
mines could be arranged, although it
did not follow that hostile vessel
would be obligins enough to pass
over them. rorpedoes could be
the james river showed that they did not rem
der D river impossible to feet. But these
devices were all of use and supplemented by
other defensive measures that could be adopted,
bat which could not now be described, they
would probably make New York city toierabiy
safe from naval attack.
EFFICIENCY OF THE ITALIAN NAVY.
The Italian navy today stands well up toward
the front m point Of efficiency. The number
of her active war vessels places Italy seventh in
the rank of naval powers 30 far az
numbers alone are considered. In point OF
efficiency naval officers In this city regard her
% standing fourth, next ahead of Germany.
Her entire navy at the present is stationed in
the Mediterranean, and all the vessels with
perhaps one exception are in the immediate
vicinity of home.
So far as the efficiency of her individual yes
sells is concerned it ID doubtful il Italy has q
superior. Her navy consists Of twenty -one
armored vessels, ffty-one unarmored vessels,
built and building, in addition to one hundred
and ffty-two first-ciass torpedo boats.
NAVAL oyyIcERs VIEWS.
A prominent naval official said to STAR re-
pOfter MA mopnin1 THAI Iaalv d0oa mt re~nrd