The morning call., 1892-12-12

The Sims Edison Company has also deiy-
cred one OF its torpedOes, to be used in
series OF projectile experiments.
With regard to the increase of the navy
the Secretary says that another year Of ex-
perience, of discussion and of criticism,
both at home and abroad, confirms the de-
partment in the views adopted in the annual
report OF 1889 as to the policy of construc-
tion the navy should pursue. He depre-
Gates the construction of any more vessels
OF the monitor type, celebrating arguments
against their usefulness and quoting from
the report of Chairman Herbert of the
House Committee on Naval Affairs. saying:
Our true naval policy for the future is to
construct hereafter, principally If not en-
tirely. only first-class cruisers and first
class bsttle-ships with their accessories
The Secretary speaks with much satsfac-
tion of the act ito encourage American ship
building" under which the City of Paris
and the City Of New York have been ad-
mitted TO American registry, and under the
terms Of which several of the finest liners
will be built here, and earnestly recon-
mends that the same principle, which he
now embodies in a bill TO grant American
registry TO the steamship China Of the Pa
cifc Mail Company, may be carried out,
not only in this but in ali similar cases, by
means OF which American owners of foreign
built steamships whose high qualities are
such as to make them a desirable acQuis-
tion may be permitted to obtain American
registry upon the condition that vessels of
an equal size and tonnage shall be ordered
to be built in the United States.
With reference TO unprotected cruisers OF
The second class, from four 10 five thou
sand tons displacement, the department
does Eot recommend any present Increase
in their number. These vessels, to attain
the high speed required, must necessarily
sacrifice coal endurance, and have, there
fore, very restricted sphere of usefulness
for cruising purposes in times of war. They
answer satisfactorily the limited demand
for fagships upon the regular stations in
time of peace. but it is not upon these yes
sells that the United States would place re-
lance in case OF an attack from a maritime
power. Nor is il desirable to add TO the
number of heavily armed gunboats Of the
Yorktown type
One well-defned fact is the usefulness of
the torpedo cruiser OF from 800 to 1000 tons,
Of small size. light draught, with speed of
twenty-five knots, sufficient coal capacity,
rapid-fre guns and powerful torpedo arma-
ment. This is type Of vessel the depart
ment would suggest building. and several
such vessels would be a valuable addition to
our naval force.
The Secretary also renews the recon-
mendatien previously made for the building
of torredo-boats, and submits table show
ing ths vast increase OF such craft in the
service of other nations. We should have
at least thirty such boats constructed in the
Immediate fufaFe.
The aggressive policyG Ct foreign nations
continues. and this country, whether il will
or not. will soon be forced into a position
where it cannot disregard measures which
form standing menace TO its prosperity
and security. On the istbmus our commerce
is engaged in desperate fight 10 maintain
lis foothold. In the South Pacific re-
peated annexstions ard protectorates are
extending the power and influence OF the
maritime States of the Old World SubSi-
died lines of fast steamers are completing
the circle of maritime communication on the
eastern and western coasts of the Dominion
of Canada, and fortresSes daily increasing
in strength. are surrounding our coast upon
the south and east.
Under these circumstances 1t is fmppra-
tive to the welfare Of this country that the
policy Of naval reconstruction, so success
fully carried on in the past should suffer no
Interruption in the future; that the vas,
numbers OF skilled artisans. who have been
trained in its workshops and in those of
private manufacturers concerned in its
operations, should not be thrown out If
employ ment; that the work, whose chief
difficulties have now been overcome, should
not be suffered 10 langush, when every day
shows Improvement, both in economv and
dispatch; and that with only two vessels
remaining on the stocks, as will shortly be
the case, some further additions should be
made by Congress at the present session.
Much space is devoted to interesting de-
tails a TO the operations of the ships in
commission during the past year 10 Bering
Sea and elsewhere; on the work of the
Marine Hospital Bureau in connection with
the cholera quarantine, etc. Interesting
statistics are given as to the growth of the
movement of establishing naval militia.
the creation Of which Is characterized as
one OF the most important steps in our re-
cent naval progress. Tie department again
recommends the consolidation of the reve-
nue. marine service with the navy, and calls
attention to the recommendations Of the
commaudant Of the marine corps iD refer
ence to the increase in the number OF pri-
yaies and non-cOmmisSioned officers in the
corps.
In conclusion The Secretary saws. in part:
THE statement has been made from time
to time that the present administration had
preceded substantially upon the lines Of
its predecessors. This is. in large de-
gree. correct. It's cardinal policy has been
TO persevere continually in The direction of
naval establishment to make no changes
merely for the sake of change, and none
unless they would be justified by clear and
conclusive reasons. at the same time every
effort has been made to advance where ad-
vance was possible.
The labors that have devolved upon the
present administration of the Navy De-
partment. both in the management of the
feet and the work OF construction, has not
only been far in excess of those of any pre-
vious administration since the war. but have
required to much greater degree the solu-
tion of difficult and intricate problems in
the detailed supervision of the most ex-
pensive and varied branches Of manu-
faeure.
The ships alone in the building OF which
this administration has been engaged ag-
gregated 10000 tons. Ithas manufactured
PA heavy guns. added largely TO the plant
OF the working yards and made the Wash
ington gun factory one of the best equipped
in the world; constructed wharves. dry
docks and other important public works;
awarded contracts under the head Of in
crease of the navy alone 10 the amount of
s3i. .90S. .941. and employed labor to the
amount OF Ss,I96,S71.
Its operations have placed the art OF
steel ship-building In the United States on
a firm basis, while the manufactured prod
uct has been so cheapened that there is now
a prospect that steel ships of American
build NAV successfully comnata in cost ae