The sun., 1892-03-14

THE NAY.iL APPROPRIATIONS.
Reason. Of the Committee for not FRO vIdtns
for Moro H:.tiIe Ships.

WASHINGTON. March l:t.-The report OF the
House Committee on Naval Affairs. accom-
panying the Naval Appropriation bill, has been
submitted TO tho House. The bill carries an
appropriation of $23.GeG.S23. being So. +17. SIG
less than the estimates and SS.Sl4 S31 less
than the apprc priation for the current fiscal
year. The committee say they have been en-
ubled to make this reduction without imJa;r-
ing the progress of our new navy becausc OF
the large surplus that will remain on hand
uneypended and to the credit Of the increase
of the navy ut the end Of the present fiscal
yea-.
The committee. the report says. believe that
it should DO the settled policy Of Congress to
authorize the construction of ono or moro new
vessels 1T each regular session 'nnti we shall
have provided "A considerably larger nu,nuer
have when those authorized are. completed.
The recent Chiiian lmbrogiio. during which n
naval naval ,i;r Wnt seemed ior time to be quito
at large quite approve Of the policy in which
we are engaged yf rehabiltatinE thu. navy.
met with in making, shuftng. steel for,:nGs.
and armor nlnte. nni says that the committee
ar" Gratined to he able to say TINT the present
Secretary ~ the Navy in view OF the deiayG in
client ,iI t. "a. the work unasr n. bethIehem ,'n-
NOV. 20 "f that year entered into u contract
with MrssrH. Carnegie. Ihpps Go; FOR 3;:Do
tons OF armnr plates mt tIiS same pflC0 as tnht
stipulated in the Bethlehem contract: The
time liked for deliveries to begin was July !.
1881. This time proved to be- insufficient.
Carnegie Phipps 4 Co. though they are fur
nishing. are not yet able to deliver ut the rate
required by their contract
For these reasons the majority or your
committee the report says. have decided
that il would NOT b" best now to authorize tho
construction Of another baltic ship. Some of
the projected vessels have been awaiting their
urmor for years There is no reasona he
expectation that tho armnr for all the twelve
ships can re furnished before we enter upon
the calendar year 1884. Your committee do
not believe. however that our new navy mas
yet reached tho point at which further Increase
should cease. II may hs taken for granted
that We do not need to build n great and
expensive navy like those OF Great Britain and
France, hnt certainly. the time has come when
1t would he we'll to form some dist met and
definite ide.. "' thc position we are hereafter
to occupy anon. the nnval powers OF tho
world. To regain III" relative position among
these naveS "" occupied prior to our civil
war is certainly not too much to attempt.
sucn efficient const defe . cs us we then be-
lieved our.r!ye1to rOss"'sa
ITO reach tins point !. S not disputed that
we ueed NOR" first ella battle ships. Wa
have now only three authorized Eight or nine
more II thr-". in addition to our authorized
ilc!ent perhaps for our PURPOSES. itut II u
battle ship were authorized now We could not
reasonably expect that the heavy arInor II
would require could TO furn ished when need
oil. Certainty. il reasonable progress were
made in construction. either tho new shin or
Obliged tn wait for armor. as several oi them
are oing now. some OF them have been rendy,
or in condition 70 be speedily made ready. for
armor for years,