Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-12

battle ships. To provide armor for
eight such ships, in addition to those
now authorized, would require three
years after the fufilment of the present
contracts, with the works running at
iuil capacity. 1t is the belief of this
department, in common with the naval
committee OF the present house. that
this number OF additional battle ships
ls essential to the protection OF the
united States. 1t is upon such vessels
that this country, as we'll as others hav-
Ing seaboaad, relies and must continue
TO rely ior purposes of defense. as long
as hasa! warfare remains what il is to-
oay' WltnonC them Te are helpless at
sea. with the plants in existence we
can not only armor the ships now author
izeo, Dub we nave means at hand for
armoring others if we make our prenar.
ations in time. The value to the Tinted
states OF the possession of two such es-
tablishments cannot be expressed in
words or figures.
In reference to the ordnance of the
navy, the secretary makes an ex ended
reference to the developments f5romis-
ing greatly improved results. and which
points nave heretofore been covered in
these dispatches in the report of the
chle1 OF the bureau of ordnance. Com
ment Is also made at length on the ord
nance report as to powder manufacture.
nigh explosives and prejectiles, all Of
Wnich are showing progress of the most
satisfactory nature.
win regard to torpedoes, while the
Howell torpedo has not gone mnch be-
yond the stage of hope with which the
department entered upon the contract
Tor it's manufacture four wears aoo vet
the last trials are giving great promise.
The contract made over a wear ayo for
the manufacture OF 100 Is inch White
head torpedoes is being filed and 20 ara
completed, with certain chara cteristics
superior to those manufactured abroad.
vi the so-called Diriginle torpedoes in
tended to be controlled from q fixed
station. three Partick torpedoes have
undergone official trials, and two have
been ssDt to the Pacific coast. The
Sims EDISON company also delivered
one OF its torpedoes to be ueed in series
OF projected experiments.
With regard to the increase of the
navy, the secretary says another year of
experience, of discussion and OF criti-
clsm, both at home and abroad, con-
hrms the departments views adopted
in its annual report of 1889 as to the
policy OF construction the navy should
pursue. He deprecates the construction
OF any more vessels of the monitor
type, Celebrating arguments against
their usefulness, and quoting from the
report OF Chairman Herbert of the
mouse committee on naval affairs, say
Ing: Our true naval policy for the fu-
ture is to construct hereafter principallv
if not entirely, only tirst-class cruisers
and frst-class battle-ships, with their
accessories."
The secretary speaks with much satis-
faction of the act ''to encourage Ameri-
can shipbuilding," under which the
City OF Paris and City of New YORK
we're admitted to American regissrv
and unffer the terms OF which severai iii
the finest liners will be built, and he
earnestly recommends that the same
principle which is now embodied in fha
Dill to grant American register to the
steamship China of the Pacific Mail
company may be carried out, not only in
this but in all similar cases, bv meana
OF which American owners of foreign-
built steamships, whose high qualities
are such as to make them desiretle
acquisition, may be permitted to Obtain
American register upon condition that
vessels of equal size and tonnsge sball
be ordered to be built in the United
States.
With reference to unprotected cruis-
ers OF the second class, from 1000 to 5Oll,
tons displacement, the department does
not recommend any present increase of
number. These vessels, to attain the
high rate of speed required, must neces-
sarily sacrifice coal endurance, and have
therefore very restricted sphere OF
usefulness for cruising purposes in times
OF war. They answer satisfactorily the
limited demand for fagships upon reg.
ular stations in times of peace, but it is
not upon these vessels that tho United
States should place reliance in
case OF an attack from mari
time power. Nor is it desirable
to add to the number OF heavily armed
gunboats of the Yorktown type. One
well defined fact, which has proven
highly successful, is that of torpedo
cruiser from 800 to 1000 tons, of small
size, light draught, a speed of 22 knots.
sufhclent coal capacity, rapid fire guns
and powerful torpedo armament. This
Is the type CT vessel the department.
would suggest building, and several such
vessels would be d valuable addition to
the naval force.
Aip sSeiOo"iy aibV Icu6W5 pQo fGCOu-
mendation previously made for the
building of torpedo boats, and submits q
table showing the vast increase of such
Craft in the service of other nations. We
should have at least 80 sucn boats CON.
structed in the immediate future.
The aggressive policy of foreign na-
tlons continues, says the report. and
this country, whether it will or not. will
soon be forced into position where it
cannot disregard the measures which
form standing menace to its prosperity
and security. On the isthmus our conn
merce is engaged In desperate fight to
maintain its foothold. In the South
Pacific repeated annexations and protec-
torates are extending the power and in
fiuence of the maritime states of the old
world. Subsidized lines of fast steamers
are completing the circle of maritime
communication on the eastern and west
ern coasts of the Dominion of Canada and
fortresses, daily increasing in strength.
are surrounding our coast upon the
south and east. Under these crcum-
stances, it is imperative to the welfare
OF this country that the policy of naval
reconstruction 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
Ill its workshops and those of private
manufacturers concerned in its opera-
ton, should not be thrown out of en-
ployment; that the work, whose chief
difiicultips have nom hoan 80 o.a>.,,o