The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-08
Defense Of THE LAKES.
Those Formidable British Revenue
Cutters That We're Recently
Put in Commission.
Some Freight-C Oar Ferryboats That
May Be Used tor Vessels
Of War.
strength and A~daptability Of tho Beats-
Already Running and Others
to he Launched.

tWritten for THE HELENA I~NDIPENpENT.l
-HE UNITED STATES, WITH ALL
AIk0 its immsnss interests on tho shore.
their waters to defend American commercs.
A few weeks ago President Harrison ssnt to
the senate a letter Of Secretary of State
Foster, in accordance with . resolution
adopted at the last session asking for In
formation about the Increment between
Great Britain and. the United States 40 to
tho naval force of each nation on ths Great
Lakss.
Ills a revival Of the old contention as to
what rights Great Britain and the United
States have to keep armed Vessels
whore, under certain emergencies. they
might DO used for offensive and de-
fsnsivs naval operations along the border.
Secretary Foster states that Canada 10
maintaining armed cutters on the great
lakes, although they are operating under
the disguise Of ordinary revenue cutters"
These vessels are supposed to be ecnstructed
for tho purposs Of suppressinR Snug
Cling on the s.. Lawrence river and
The lakes. but they are in reality capable
Of adaptation to naval purposes. A United
IN 6v8B08 n8V0A OAAoOX A0POAsSN ~ ~ W"H -
partment that these boats were bnilt At
Owcn sound. Georgian bay, Ontario,
are most formidable craft.
Under the 1877 treaty the naval defense
70 be maintained on the great lakes 10 linn
tied TO one war vessel for Great Britain and
one for the United States. Great Britain
has never found il necessary to maintain
her single warsAip. owing to her ability At
any time to run fifty or more gunboats into
the lakes from the ocean by way Of the
Canadian canal.
The naval force Of the United States on
the lakes 10 now and has been for many
years the single iron sidewhssl steamer
Michigan, which now rates 685 tons and
carries four howitzers. Now let us see what
Great Britain has. There are the two gun
boats. CoAstancs and Curlew. launched
this year. and which have just gone into
winter quarters. A third ganboat. the
Petrol, launched on Gwen sound during the
month of November last, will not be com
missiened until the opening OF spring navi-
cation. She 10 10Y ct the yards of her
builders. at Owen sound. and will receive
British will keep the Constance and Curlew
in commission throughout the winter. Both
ships will be ready for active service at any
moment The Pstrsl whom commissioned
will also remain continuously in service.
This 10 the first time in the history OF
Great BritaiA's control Of Canada that
three modern highly-efioient Runboats
have been deemed necessary for the protec-
ton Of Oarada's lake frontier, There was
much secrecy surrounding the construction
of the ships, and care was taken to avoid
their inspection by Outsiders. 1t would
appear that Great Britain's policy is that
of . general defense of the Canadian from
tier and is the direct outcome Of the grow
ing annexation feeling, both in Canada and
in the United States.
For military purposes England must hold
Canada at all hazards. 1t gives her q dock
yard at Esquimalt. her only naval station
ON the eastern side of the Pacific, and it
enables her to send troops to India and her
other Asiatic possessions BY the Canadian
Pacific railroad through her own territory.
TIL armament of the Petrol is evidently
meant for aggressive PURPOSES. She will
carry in her battery ono 47-inch Maxim
Nordenfeldt rapid-fve gun. supplemented
by q battery of ~six-pounder Maxin-Norden-
feldt guns. The 47-inch rife throws a pro-
jective weighing forty-ave pounds a dis
lance Of Ave miles at a rate OF fre of
twenty-five shots per minute. The six
FOUNDER Northumberland gun can throw
forty-ive shots per minute and can pierce
four-inoh steel plates at a range of 100
yards. The other boats have similar bat
teries. Thus. In the event of a war
with the United States. cities like Chicago,
Milwaukee and Cleveland would be