The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-01-27
practically defenseless against any ma
tion that attacks us."
WTben if Chilli"

!
"Then if Chilli"
"You may say this" said the secre-
tary slowly, emphasizing his words:
'If you are going to write about the
matter, you may say this: Four months
from the time those sailors were killed
at Valparaiso, Chill, if we had declared
war, would have had our Pacific coast
entirely at her mercy. With the ships
she has, together with those that will
be ready shortly She could have done
anything she pleased with us. 1t has
been her ambition to be mistress of the
Pacific"
This was not pleasant contingency
to contemplate. ! suggested that we
could thrash them if we caught them
on shore. Mr.. Tracy laughed grimly,
and intimated that they would probably
decline to come ashore for the purpose.
They could secure all they wanted
without disembarking.
"And we must continue to be de-
tenders for several years at least?"
eyes; all that can be said is, we are
now going ahead as fast as possible.
But even now there is this drawback
that there is no absolute security there.
The next congress will vote to carry on
the work begun by this or by pre-
vious one. This makes many firms
timid about undertaking contracts.
They might go to a great expense and
then he left stranded"
"What is the character of our navy?"
! inquired.
"The men who man our ships are
very intelligent; they adapt themselves
readily to altered circumstances. A
battle ship now is an entirely different
thing from what it was some years ago.
AL the sailing business-the going aloft,
taking in and making sail and all that
is of course done away with. The
work of the man is below. There are
about thirty distinct machines aboard
one OF our modern men-of-war; the ma
chimes for locomotion, for moving the
anchors, the electrical machines and
many others. In spite of the complete
change in the nature of the duties
aboard ship, we have had no accidents.
The English on the contrary, are hav-
ing accidents and making mistakes
all the time. Our men are more intelli-
gent, careful and efficient.
''In case of war, how many seemen
have we?'
''Why, very few; only enough to make
nucleus for an effective force. But
quite lately something has been done
towards forming a naval militia at vari-
Gus points along the coast, qualified to
be available in case of emergency.
Organizations have been established at
Massachusetts, New York, Pennsyl-
vania, Carolina, Georgia, Texas and
, California; am not sure that other
states were not included-"and the de-
partment sends officers and provides
ships for their periodical drilling and
instruction They have been practiced
in firing guns, and in firing them at
targets, which is about the most import
ant thing they can learn to do. They
have done very well. They cost little
or nothing and are liable at any mo-
ment to become of the greatest practi-
cal value"
upon the whole, what is youI
opinion of our present naval situation?'
1--WE are now doing the best we car
, TO put ourselves into a proper condition
of defense. We have been rather slow
! in beginning, perhaps, but now that we
! have begun, we are losing no time Or
the very next day after the bill for the
construction of the battle ships and the
armored cruisers became law, they
were advertised, and the bids were re
ceived three months later OF course
the drawings had already been pre-
} pared counting on the probability oi
} the bill passing; so that no delay oc
? Cured. If, now, congress makes the
f appropriations for the construction, as
they fall due, we shall be making ex
2 cellent progress But there is no usC
: In Disgusting the fact that we are no
, ready to defend ourselves If attacked
now, and we cannot be in less thar
} three or four years at the earliest L
! our enemy's fleet were to come int
New York harbor, it could destroy
r our commerce, cut Off all communi
, cation with the city, and, consequently
S its food supply-Kew York would con
D sumo about five million pounds of sole
+ food a day-and, consequently, coul,
Q exact any ransom they chose tc de
r mand, no matter how preposterous
Q And New York is only one Of half (
( dozen great cities that could and woulC
i be treated in the same way. That i
S the peril of our condition to-day. Blu
( if all goes well during the next few
t years, we shall be all right in the end
I and once we get into defensive state
a there is no reason why we should no
e continue 10 be So"
r left the secretary of the navy wit
h the conviction that the Office was il
a good hands. Mr. Tracy is blind to n
i dangers, but neither does he eXaggerat
them, nor is he unneryed by them. IL
4 knows what should be done, and how I
do it, and IS taking the best means t
. accomplish his purposes. He has tn
h confidence of his subordinates; and
/, whether war comes soon, or late, or no
h at all, he viii deserve the gratitude Q
' the American people.
|. JULIAN HAWTHORNE.
y Niles Nerve eno Liver Pills
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