The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-06-09
Our Latest Acquisition in Ships.

The City Of Paris and the City OF New
York, two of the noblest and fastest
ships af1oat, have been transferred from
the British flag and admitted to Amer
can register. By this change they are
entitled to fly the American flag and to
the large bounties paid to a certain class
of American steamships. This transfer
navy in case of war, which was made
one of the conditions of the arrangement
when contaminated. The same condi~
ton for the use of these same great ocean
racers in war times had been previously
agreed upon by the owners of the Inman
Line and the British government, which
held lien upon the ships in the grant
of an annual subsidy-a grant that ex-
pressly bound the owners to turn the
ships over to the government whenever
war might ensue in which their servi-
ces would be needed. 1t was therefore
surprise to the British admiralty to
find these ships slip through its hands
and made an important adjunct to the
11ulCilCcbh navy uASiCl GILiAhAi III NoAiA
stances. Unfortunately, so far as the
British government is concerned, there
was no clause in the agreement with the
owners of the ships which prohibited
their transferring them to another flag
on the offer of more tempting induce
ments to make the change. Indeed, with
respect to the United States, there was
no possibility of such p change so long
as ships built abroad were denied an
American register. It was the grant of
this register, in contravention OF law and
custom, that removed what would other
wise have been an insuperable difficulty.
Such objections as might have been
made by the uphoiders of the inviola>
bilitv of our navigation laws were overs
come by the proposition TO build two
other steamships 10 American ship-yards
equal IN size. strength, speed and APP
portiouments to the British built ships.
The Manchester Guardian the ablest and
most widely read provincial newspaper
in England, expresses what we have no
doubt is the disgust and uneasiness large
" felt iii England at the acquisition Of
these two ocean racers by the United
States. They could, iii case of war"
SAYS the Guardian, escape from any
war ship afloat, and could overtake and
destroy any merchant ship ailoat. The
plan is, according to the Guardian, ITO
build up a merchant marine OF fast war
cruisers, to have two ships built to match
those annexed, and to snhsidize three
others to run from New York to Ant
werp, so that the government would
! thus have seven Of the finest war ships
in the world 1t adds: "The United
| States government has never subscribed
10 The Declaration of Paris. 1t holds the
| right to authorize privateers in war, and
refuses to accept the doctrine that the
goods of belligerant power are covered
by the neutral flag at sea-" The Guard
ian, in its alarm, sees, in the event OF
war with the United States, the sea
swept of British merchantmen by these
fast cruisers The st. James Gazette
takes the matter more coolly. 1t says
that 1.-THE builders of the Inman steam
ships can build others as good" but il
warns the government that when al
4 admiralty subyention is given in future
/ if shall be coupled with the condition
that the vessel carrying it is not to be
transferred to a foreign flag on any con
dition whatever"