The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1891-12-10

OF the siNt D completed vrssois IT tho new
navy, thirteen have been commissioned during
tn" present administration aud four during the
past year, The work on the three great lattlo
ships, the Indiana, Massachusetts and Oregon. is
going forward rapidly, and. according to present
probabilities, they viii he ready for service early
in 1894. The Monterey is ready to receive her
armor, and Will I've completed next wear. while
the powerful cruiser New York, which was
launched the other day. will be ready for serv-
leo in January, lsGl Next to the three battle
ships, she will he the largest and most furmida-
bic Ship Of the now navy, and will be able to
hold her own, it is thought, against any vessel of
her si2" aliOat, Work ON all the other shius, OK.
c'pt the proposed torpedo cruiser, the mate TO
the Gushing. is being pushed rs rapidly a. pos.
Sillc, The appropriation for the torpedo cruiser
tS'jo.""l was too small, tho SECRETARY havint
been unable t" get any bid FOR ita construction
within that limit,
MORE SHIPS NEEDED.
Secretary Tracy insists that more Sims are
Necessary II the United States desires To secure
and retain her share " the of the
world. ON this point he says:
The course Of events during the pa.t vcor ho-
shown anew the necessity of continuing the
development Of the navy. The demands uunn
it hay" been constant, and they are constantly
own TN" rapid extension of commercial
relations has doubled thu Importance vi our in.
%t"rrets, especially in the Pacific. II was said "A
i'w years ago by u keen foreign observer.
o 'NAA'' 'AlN VI I'M NHNl' WI ~ Illt1 l1NnlIN
Of three or -four nations IA the Pacific for the
commerce Of those scas. and the country which
ha" cultivated its strength with Il view to that
contingency Will carry of n chief part of tho
prize Tho rivalry has already begun. and The
signs are evident on every hand of sharp com.
EDITION; 1t =; aRparent that the mercantile
Rrging their fields of activity with n moro
aggressive" energy than ever before. No one
can fail to observe tho indications of a system.
attic effort to take advantage Of the disturbed
conditions now prevailing in many Of the small.
ar states. In this movement naval asrcndencv
plays Il large part, Tho conscquencrs are moi
far to seek, The establishment of complete
commercial supremacy by a European power in
any state of the western hemisphere means
the exclusion Of American influence and the
virtual destruction, rs far rs that state is con.
c"rncd, of independent existence. With the
great maritime powers it is only u step from
commercial control to territorial control If
development Of the UnitCd States, the Nicn.
ragua, canal, were completed, the strategic
situation would he largely modified, At tho
present time the two scaboarts are 50 remote
that each requires u separate system of naval
defense Each has is vulnerable points. and
each has neighhOrs that are well prepared for
offensive movements, There is n circle of in
sular fOrtrcssrS facing our Atlantic scabpnrl.
the sole object Of whose existence Is to maintain
naval putpost1 at Our doors. There are states i'm
the PaCiiic-and not large states, c~ithcr-whosc
fleets are moro powerful than any force that we
could readily bring to meet them. To protect
rlthcr Scabu1rd oven when our present author
lied fleet IL completed, will involve stripping the
other at Il critical moment :
Even IT, it were impossible To involve this
country in war without its COnscnt, there are sit
uatlOns In which that consent would be given by
u unanimous popular voice. There are outrrgGs
which, can not 20 unrcdressed there are iuiu-
rics to which no nation can afford 60 submit.
Against such injuries the Surest preventive IL a
strong national defense. : There are rle-
nCnt5 # danger at all times for American inter
cts, aud at any moment these elements may he
ron Tered tcnfold moro active by u European
war.
lie favors the construction Of more vessels of
the Indiana type,
1t is only by the possession Of ships OF this type
that the defensive strength of the United
states can readily he measured. We may have
many medium sized cruisers of 800 tons or be-
low, which perform useful service in time of
lcace in carrying the flag about the world,
which give ,r%ractiraI. training to officers and
service in war. But when opposed to armorud
ships these. vessels can not be counted as "a
element of force,
the CHILEAN TROUBLE,
Secretary Tracy dcvotcs considerable space
to the CHILEAN trouble, and gives a detailed ac.
count of the attack on the sailors of the cruiser
Baltimore, Numerous accounts have been
published Of this incident, but this one is the
result of n full and Official investigation, and
contains many points which have not before
been made public, The secretary says;
At2p IN. on the 18th Of October the Balti-
more, being thcn at anchor in the harbor of Val
%Ilraiso, Il number Of scaIncn belonging TO the
ship went on shore In uniform for liberty, in ac-
%cordance with the universal practice prevailing
on hoard ships of war in foreign ports. Two
weeks had passed since the surrender of Val
paraiso TO the 'ongressiOnaist leaders, and the
city was quiet, Other foreign war ships In the
harpur had already given liberty to their crews,
and no reason existed for Withholding a like
privilege from the crew of the Baltimore.
Ats y. III, the men had been ashore four
hours. II II the general testimony that they
had been during this period, and We're then,
orderly, sober and well behaved. The first
encounter appears to have taken place at this
time between one of the crew Of the Balti-
more and a Gillian, who spat in his face. The
sailor knocked the CHILEAN down. and was
immediately, set upoa, with his companion,
another ~ the Baltimore's crew, by an angry
crowd, The two sailors toof refuge In a passing
street car, They were dragged from the car BY