The morning call., 1892-04-14
IHE NEW NAVY.

The Naval Committee of the House of
Representatives recommends the construc-
ton of nine more bat.le-ships of the type
of the Oregon and the Massachusetts,,
which are now on the stocks. These YES
sells are to be of 1o, 29S tons displacement
(the displacement of the Charleston is $3.50
tOns), and 10 carry four 13-inch guns, eight
S-inch, four 6-inch and twenty-eight rapid
fire and machine guns. Their speed mus ex-
coed sixteen knots in their trial trip. these
vessels are nearly of the same size as the
English lnflexibe and Dreadnought and
the French Admiral Baudin and Admiral
Duperre; but the heaviest battery OF the
English ships consists OF S0-ton guns, and
that of the French ships of 75-ton guns. while
the heaviest guns Of our battle-ships will be
under 50-ton guns. Experience has demon
strated that, in action, guns weighing over
fifty tons cannot be handled without dan
ger to the ship; the Jar from the discharge
and Tecoil is almost certain TO start the
plates Our vessels are expected to be
faster by one or two knots than the English
and French vessels, and their horsepower
is about 1000 higher. The calculation is
that in these battle-ships the maximum of
speed and weight OF battery have been
combined.
Both Great Britain and France have I'M
der contemplation the building of a new
class of battle-ships, larger and swifter
than any vessels now afloat. What they
may do in this direction remains TO be seen.
Meanwhile. il our twelve batile-Ships were
now afoat. there is nothing in any foreign
navy, as Secretary Tracy said. which could
stand against them. No fleet has ever been
built which could endure broadside of
ftro fnt,r uotfA 1 t,,at
guns and continue 10 float.
Some years must elapSe, however, before
any such fleet can be sent to sea- The
forging of plates is slow business. There
are only two foundries where they can be
made-the Bethlehem Iron Works and
Carnegie. PhippS & Co.'S works. These
two concerns have for some time been I'M
der contract to furnish - 703 tons of plates
for vessels already authorized. They have
only thus far delivered 500 tons on account.
They have, however, been enlarging their
plants. and by next fall they expect to be
able to deliver 400 tons each per month, or
500 tons fol the two. II they do. and if
Congress makes the necessary appropria-
tions, the twelve battle ships may be afloat
in the fall Of 1894, if the Washington navy
yard. which now makes all the guns for the
navy, is ready with the ordnance by that
time
The underlying notion which prompts
these constructions is not TO entertain the
world with the spectacle Of naval fight
unprecedented in history. 1t is to reduce
the naval enterprises of foreign nations to
an absurdity. When one nation builds
fleet which is bound TO destroy any hostile
fleet againSt which ii can be flung naval
warfare will necessarily cease. Sailors will
not fight with the certainty of humiliation
staring them in the face. And while, on the
surface. there appears TO be nothing 10 pre-
vent England or France seeing our twelve
battle-ships and going US half dozen better,
yet still European nations are getting peril
ously near the point at which the pressure of
taxation will call halt in expenditures for
war purposes. Ne Government can afford to
go on indefinitely spending three or four mil
lions for new battie-ship. The means of
the people will not bear such exfrava-
gance. England already contains 5000, 900
more people than the kingdom can support.
Italy and Germany are on the verge OF out
breaks caused by the severity of taxation.
The chronic vicissitudes of French politics
can be traced to the discomfort produced by
the increased cost Of living and the reduced
pay OF labor
When Ericsson built the first turret ship
he baptized it the Monitor, because, as he
said. it would prove warning TO nations
not to engage in war. The new navy OF the
United States is intended to carry out his
thought. Il will really prove warning to
the maritime world that warfare is unproft-
able, and that the age when kings and
governments took the substance of their
people 10 fit cut fleets and beget naval
heroes has gone by never TO return.