The morning call., 1891-10-21
WHERE THE SHIPS ARE.

In the new distribution of our small ma
tional navy the Pacific Ocean is likely 20 get
more than what has been deemed its nat
ural share. Ever since we had a navy 1t
has been customary to send our crack ships
to the seas which wash the coasts Of Eu-
rope, and American naval officers at Nice, at
the Channel ports and in the Baltic have
nobly sustained the reputation of the ser
vice for producing the most accomplished
gentlemen and the finest dancers in the
world. Now, sad to say, there is not single
American mau-of-war in European waters,
and there is no talk of sending one. The pres
ent rule of the service is that our ships
should be stationed at points where war or
political disturbances prevail, and hence an
unusual proportion of them are on duty in
the Pacific.
The Baltimore and the San Francisco are
already lying in the harbor of Valparaiso,
Chile. The Yorktown has been dispatched
to iuin them, and is to be followed by the
Boston and Atlanta. When these latter ar
rive, il things are quiet at Valparaiso, the
ships now there viii prOblbly be ordered to
Mare Island for repairs, aud the San Fran
cisco, after her bottom is cleaned, may be
sent to Honolulu to take the place OF the
Pensacola. The lroQuOiS is at Samoa,
watching the Inauguration OF the new Gov
ernment The Muhican and Thetis, which
have been in Behrng Sea, have sailed south
ward, and will probably report to Admiral
Belknap on the Asiatie Station. That off,
GERS command was lately reduced to the AL
lance, the Monucacy and the Palos. But
the Charleston lately Joined them, the Alert
is on her way to do so from Sitka, the Ma
rion has lett Honolulu for the same destina-
ton aud the Lancaster and Petrol are
rounding the capes in the same direction.
Thus seventeen men-of-war Of various
sizes will shortly be flying the American
flag in Pacific waters, where they are pretty
widely scattered, all the way from Valpa-
raiso to Shanghai. But most OF them could
be reached by telegraph in case of accident,
and might be concentrated at any point
where their services should be needed. If
ships of war are OF use there would be no
lack Of them. Besides those which are in
Pacific waters there are at New York six
powerful vessels which would be ready for
sea in a few days, and a few more scattered
along the Atlantic ports as far south as
Buenos Ayres. Next year several new
ships will be added to the list and divided
among the various stations. Altogether the
American navy, small as it is, is in better
shape than it was when the war broke out
thirty years ago.
OF course it makes poor show in COM
parison with the five hundred men-of-war
which fly the British flag, and, according to
the old song rule the waves in all oceans
But it is an open question whether the En-
glsh people get the worth OF the money
this immense navy costs them. Americans
would hesitate before mourning the like ex-
pense Once in a while a British ship OF
war renders useful services in Sheltering
lusitives from a bOmbarded city; and every
now and theu 4 village in the South Sea
Islands is knocked t. pieces by cruiser.
len years ago British fleet bombarded the
city Of Alexandria because the Egyptians
had the bad taste to prefer home rule to
Brush domination. But with that eXcep-
ton the magnificent leeto Of which Britannia
boasts has long been as idle as painted
ship upon painted ocean. The only Ucca-
sion on which il has attracted the attention
of the English has been when they were
called upon to pay its annual bills.
In a recent article on our navy, Secretary
Tracy establishes beyond doubt that
our vessels of war, few as they are, would
be as formidable in a sea fight as the newest
and best appointed European men-ot-war.
This was a revelation TO most people. But
the Secretary spoke by the book. As a
matter of fact, it Is still an open problem
whether the monsuous iron-clads which
England, France and Italy have been bnild-
ing could stand the strain of their own guns.
There is no question at all that, to render
effective service, they would have to choose
their own battlefield, and induce their enemy
to assent, and as such pOuderous floating
castles could not command much speed after
being at sea few weeks, thew would not
be Of much use against lighter craft which
could outsail them. On such coasts as
that of China, and that Of large portion
of the United States, they could not find
water enough to float them. Their only
usefulness would be as coaSt-defense vessels
and even in that SERVICE they would be
liable 10 be sunk by a single shot from a
heavy gun on board a small craft, which
they could neither catch nor hit.