Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-12-13


of defense, so long as naval warfare
remains what it is to-day. Wlthout
them we are helpless at sea. With the
plants In existence we cannot only
armor ships now in existence, but we
have the means at hand for armoring
others If we make our preparations In
time. The benefit to the United States
of possessing two such establishments
cannot be expressed in words or tig-
ures.
IN REFERENCE TO THE ORDNANCE
of the navy the secretary makes an ex-
tended reference to the developments
promising greatly imp proved results, and
which points have heretofore been COW
cred in these dispatches in the report
of the chief Of the bureau OF ordnance.
Comment is also made at length on the
ordnance report as TO powder manutac-
ture, high explosives and pro1ectiles,
all showing the progress OF the most
satisfactory nature. With regard TO
torpedoes, with the Howell torpedo we
have not gone much beyond the stage
of hope with which the department en-
tered upon the contract for its manu-
facture four years ago, yet the last
trials gave great promise. The contract
made over a year ago for the manufac-
ture here of one hundred eighteen-inch
Whitehead torpedoes is being filed, aud
twenty have been completed, with GER
tain characteristics superior to those
manufactured abroad. or so-called
"Dirigible" torpedoes, intended to be
controlled from d fixed station, three
Patrick torpedoes have undergone OIL
cial trials and two have been sent TO
the Pacific coast. The SimS-Edison
Company also delivered one Of its tor
DedOes to be used in a series Of project
ed experiments.
With regard to the increase in the
navy the secretary says another year OF
experience, of discussion and OF crlti-
cism, both at home and abroad, confirms
the department in the views it adopted
in the annual report of 80 as to the pol
lev Of construction the navy should pur-
sue. He deprecates the construction or
any more vessels of the monitor type,
celebrating arguments against their
usefulness. and, quoting from the re-
port of Chairman Herbert, OF the House
Committee on Naval Affairs, says;
"Our true naval policy for the future is
to construct, hereafter, principally, II
not entirely, only irst-class cruisers and
first-class, battleships with their access
cries"
The secretary speaks with much sat-
isfaction Of the act TO encourage Amer
lean shipbuilding," under which the
City of Paris and City of New York were
admitted to American registry and I'M
der the terms of which several OF the
finest liners will be built here, and earn
estly recommends that the same prin-
chile which now embodies the bill to
grant American register to the steam
ship China Of the Pacific Mail Company,
may be carried out. not only in this, but
in all similar cases, by means OF which
foreign-built steamships, whose high
qualities are suchas 10 make them a de-
sirable acquisition, may be permitted to
obtain American register upon condition
that vessels of equal size and tonnage
shall be ordered to be built in the Uni
ted States.
MENACEs TO THE UNITED STATES.
son the isthmus," the secretary says,
tour commerce is engaged in de-
sperate fight to maintain its foothold.
In the South Pacific repeated annexa-
tions and protectorates are extending
the power and and influence OF the
maritime states Of the old worle. Sub
sidized lines Of fast steamers are COM
pleting a circle Of maritime communica-
ton 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 the East. Under these cir
cumstances, it is imperative to the we
fare of this country that the policy Of
naval recOnstru ction so successfully
carried on in the past should suffer no
interruption in the future; that the
vast numbers Of skilled artisans who
have been trained in its workshops and
those of private manufacturers con-
cerned in It's operations, should not be
thrown out Of employment; that the
work whose chief difficulties have now
been overcome should not be suffered
to languish when every day shows i'm
provement both in economy and
dispatch; and that with only two
vessels remaining on the stocks, as will
shortly be the case, some further addi-
tion should be made by Congress al the
present session."
In conclusion the secretary says in
part:
The statement has been made from
time to time that the present admins
tration had proceeded substantially
upon the
LINES OF ITS PREDECESSOR.
This in large degree is correct. Its
cardinal policy has been to preserve a
continuity in the direction of naval
establishment, make no changes merely
for the sake OF a change and none un-
less they would be justified by clear
and conclusive reasons. At the same
time every effort was made to advance
what was possible. Labors that de-
veloped upon the present administra-
ton Of the navy department, both In the
management of fleets and the work OF
construction, have not only been far in
excess Of those OF any previous admin
iStration since the war, but have re-
CURED to q much greater degree, the
solution of difficult and intricate prob
lens in the detailed supervision OF the
most extensive aud varied branches OF
manufacture. Ships alone, Ia the
building of which this administra-
tion has been engaged, aggregated
10, 900 tons. 1t has manufactured
PA guns, added largely to the plant
working-yards, and made the Washing
ton 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 increase Of navy" alone to the
amount OF SS4, 9OS, Sal, and employed