The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-04-05

been found oftsnor than other portions Of
our coast. For your State. also. the Ques-
ton Of national defence has ? deeper
meaning than for most other American
commemorative. whether situated on the
eacoast or In the interior. for your shores
and your cities are among the most vul-
nerable to the attack Of foreign enemies.
II have no intention, however. Of re-
counting what has boon done during my
The close observation which every act Of
the Department receives from tho press,
and its frequent and intelligent DISCUSS
ion Of matters pertaining to h navy,
would make 1t unnecessary for me to
speak Of what has been done, even IL ! was
concern in relation to naval development
is not its past, but its future, and IL is to
this aspect Of q policy that / will call
your attention. 1t Is not too much to say
that taking all our vessels together, from
the first beginning to those authorized by
the equal, ship for ship, both In design
and construction of any of the modern
navies of tbs world.
when the ships now authorized shall
have been completed. taking the money
already expended. with q careful estimate
Of oie, the t sSs iass : sSip., necessary %s sEai II f SnVe
three battle ships OF the first class,
and a of second class. five
reconstructed monitors, two ships for
coast and harbor defense. nineteen cruis-
ers, seven gunboats, and w torpedo
boats, making q total OF th~irty-nine YES
sells; and we shall have obtained this
navy, created absolutely out of nothing,
at an average expenditure. during twelve
years of less than $6.000,0OO. Estimating
our population to have averaged 6O,OOO,-
600 during these years, the annual cost OF
our new navy during this period has
amounted to 10 cents per capita. !.
'The question now Is, shall the work of
reconstruction Of which, since its begin
ming in 1883, each Congress has made its
important contribution, continue until
the navy is sufficient to meet the necessi-
ties Of the country ? What these necessi-
ties are have been in part defined In the
recent able report of the chairman of tho
naval committee Of the House, Mr.. Her
bert of Alabama, on the pending Naval
Appropriation bill. He says: TO reach
this point (of fulfilling the requirements
Of national defence), we need some first
class battle ships. We have now only
these in addition to those authorized,
would give us a respectable navy, suff-
Gent, perhaps, for our purposes and he
adds that our true naval policy In the
future is to be constructed hereafter prin-
cipally, IL not entirely, only frst-class
CEuiSCLb, VI Aiot-SAooo CoesAc cAARo "As
their accessories
'sThere is no doubt of the correctness Of
the principle that first class battle ships,
with their accessories form the main ele-
ment of strength, and determine the fight
ing efficiency of u modern fleet. Under
these circumstances 1t Is u subject OF pro-
found regret to the Department. that the
committee, in reporting the bill, omitted
entirely any authorization Of ships Of that
description. One cruiser of the New York
type constitutes their only addition To the
existing force. When 1t is considered that
gress, NO battle ships even be author
lied before July, 1894, that even IL such
ships are now auth orized, they cannot be
well completed before 1895, and that their
p~ostponement now will defer until 1898,
our acquisition of this, confessedly the
defence, both the Department and the
country may wen feel that their just ex-
pectatiOns ave not been realized.
ut is stated by the committee as q
ground for delay, that We cannot expect
that the heavy armor for these vessels will
be furnished when needed, and that IL
reasonable progress Is made In the con-
struction Of the new vessels, some OF them
will be obliged to wait for their armor, as
is the case with several of the ships to-day.
1t Is true, and 1t Is a source Of serious dis
appointment to the department.. that the
two firms now under contract for the
manufacture of armor have thus far been
unable to deliver monthly the full amount
required by their contracts. The difficulties
are due to the fact that too low an estimate
was made of the machinery requisite to
perform the work. The defect, however,
Is being rapidly remedied, and 1t Is ex-
pected that by the first OF July OF this
year, the contractors will be able to deliver
the amounts contracted for. viz: 500 tons
per month. II these expectations are
realized, the last of our armored vessels
will be finally completed aud delivered to
the government before July, 1894.
''In two plants which have been estab-
lished for the manufacture of armor a
cost their owners large sums Of money;
certainly from one and q half to three
millions of dollars, or a little less than the
total amount of the contracts for the per-
torrance OF which the plant was OBJ
tanned. To postpone for several years the
1t is admitted that we need, will render
idle this plant during the period of post
ponement, will throw out Of employment
and demoralize the skilled workmen who
have with much difficulty been trained in
the manufacture. and will break up to
the extent the organization OF establish
ments.
ION the other hand, could the plan have
been adopted which is approved in the re-
port, to draw upon q program OF ship
building to continue for a number vf sue
cessive years, each year furnishing its
allotted contribution, as has been success
fully done in Germany and oGher foreign
States, not only would the ultimate sup
ply Of armor become more certain, but the
manufacture OF that required for ships al
ready under construction would be hast
ened, other competitors would enter the
Aeldy and the government in it's mex COLI
tracts would be enabled to maxi terms tar
more satisfactory both as to price and as
to time of delivery.
1T has been one Of the chief difficult
ties connected with the construction of the
new navy that in the beginning many in
dustries essential to its creation did not
exist in this country. 1t was to meet this
difficulty that the large appropriation of
a, 1900 for armor and gun steel was
made during the administration of my
predecessor. long before the armor and
gun steel were needed, in order that the
plant might he created on American soil
TO supply the materials hat we should
ultimately require. 1t has been my object
during the whole course of my admins
tration to promote in every possible way
this policy OF development, and TO see To
it that the navy should be able to rely for
all its wants solely upon the manufacture