Telegram-herald., 1891-12-08
REPORT ON The EAYY
secretary Tracy Files sn IAssnops.
ing Document.
NEEDS OF Tue NAVAL DEPARTMENT
TIE sserssAry Urges shs hsssss,ty 81 Cea,
tisssss 70 Develop tss sssssgsA ~
Oar fsEhsia. saips--Faen
About Asw vsssela

WASHINGTON. Dee Tin ME annual
report 10 the president Secretary
Tracy, Of tae navy, presents details of
con tfuctsoa Of new vessels and dis
eusses development of armament. pro
jectlies. torpedoea etc. He shows
that during the last twelve months
the vessels of the aavy have
seen n ore active employment than in
many years In presenting the years
history OF the several squadrons Secre-
tary Tracy rep ats the details of the
attack at Valparaiso upon seamen Of
the Baltimore, all of which has been
given to the public In showing the
need Of Increasing the navy the seere-
tary says:
Development stin Needed.
"The course ef events during the last year
has shown anew the aecessity IL continuing the
deycsopIaeat ef tie navy. The demands upon
I. have pacn constant ard they are constantly
growing. The rapid extension Of commercial
relations has doaeied the importance Of our
interests. especially In the Pacific.
at is apparent that the mercantile ccmpet-
tors OF this cora,ry are today enlarsing their
ne.ds OF activity with . more aggressive
energy than ever before No one can fai To
observe the indications OF . Systematic effort
TO take advantage OF the disturbed eondi-
tions now prevailing In many OF the
smaller states. IL this movement naval
aseeadency plays largo part The
consequences a. NOT far TO seek TIE es,ab-
iishmeat Of cor plete commercial supremacy
10y = European power In any state ef tbs west
ern hemisphere means the exclrsisn OF Amert
can influence ana the virtual destruction. as
far as that state II concerned. OF Independent
existence. vita the great NJ maritime powers IL
d
ritorial eoatroL
III that N Sc important agency In the com.
mcrcia development Of the United States, the
Nicaragua caaai. we're completed the strategic
situation would be largely modified. At the
preseat time the two seaboards are SO remote
that each requires its separate system OF
naval defense Each hasit vulnerable points
and each has neighbors that arc we'll
prepared for offensive movements There is
circle OF insulsr fortresses facing
our Atlantic seabeard. the sole object of
whose existence Is to maintain naval cutrosts
at our doors There are states Ia the Pacific.
and NOS large states either. whose neets are
more powerful than any force that We could
readily bring 10 meet them To protect either
seaeoard even when our present authorized
neet Is completed, will involve stripping the
other n . criticai nom At"
New Vessels.
During the past year four new YES
sells have been placed in commission.
making total of thirteen since March
4, lSS0. as follows: The Chicago. York
town, Petrol. Charleston. Baltimore.
, Cushing Vesuvius, Philadelphia, San
ton and Mianitonomah
The vessels remaining under con-
struction are as follows: Puritan,
Amphirite, Monadnock, Terror, Maine.
/ Texas, Monterey, New York (cruiser
No. O.. Cincinnati (No. y, Raleigh (No.
| 81, No. 0, Detroit (No l0). No. IL,
practice vessel, harbor defense ram,
| gunboat No. 5, gunboat No. 9, indiana,
Massachusetts. Oregon, protected
cruiser No IL, torpedo cruiser. torpedo
boat No 2 and protected cruiser No l&
The Old ships.
I OF the old wooden ships of the navy
here are in existence two second rate
vessels, the Lancaster, the present flag
ship of the Asiatic station, aAd the
Pensacola. now stationed at Homo
lulu. Tho Lancaster probably has
six years OF service before her.
but the cruising days of the
Pensacola are numbered. Ten third
rate vessels remain - The Marion
and Alliance on tho Asiatic station;
the Mohican, Iroquois and Thetis on
the Pacific; the Kearsage on the North
Atlantic; the Essex and Yantic on
the South Atlantic, and Adams
are probably good for Eve
more years of service, and the
others for two or three. The Omaha.
Swatara and Nipsic are not in condi-
tion for further cruising, and the En-
tcrprise is temporarily serving tho pur-
pose Of a practice vessel at the naval
academy, until the completion Of the
new ship of that class.
Naval Militia.
The naval militia il discussed and the
! distribution o. the funds provided is
noted The number of men mus
/ tered Is 1,l49 in six states. OF the
cost of the navy the amount charged
/ to completed ships, fifteen in num-
/ Der, is 5.536. 354.57. OF the twenty
( four uncompleted vessels the expcndi-
ture has been 81, Ass. 794.2s. and the
total cost when completed will be
s5s. .9ao. 2s2-os. The report recommends
the consolidation of revenue marine
\ .ul