New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-29
Uses or THE NEW NAVY.

Now that the town shows of the week are
over. it may not be ill-timcd to point one OF
the pain III rails Americans are not a nation
Of holiday makers they enjoy novel spcctacles
and engage in the festivities of a naval or
land parade with elusive enthusiasm but they
invariably exhaust Themselves over their pleas
urcS. and are ready when the fun Is over 10
reflect sObcrlv upon the significance OF the per
formancc. Whether the naval manoeuvreS ard
rlocc.si Us have CQuallcd or fallen below pub
lie expectation. there arc few Americans who
have 10, derived satisfaction from the thought
that their country has been able 10 make
re respectable appearance with lis squadron Ill
this 1T irrational exhibition The clrcum-
stances favored the United States Navy, since
the foreign ships. with perhaps a single cXccp-
ton. could be caSscd as cruisers: and 1t was
in that branch of the service that the earliest
ATTEMPTS were made for the creation Of a new
feet. II there had been large number OF
Eurorcan baltleshipS Of the fiist class in the
Moth River, the comparison would have been
less favorable to the American Navy. AS 1t
was. Admiral Ghcrardis fleet bore the closest
and most critical inspection. and Americans had
lust cause fox pride in the achievements OF their
designers and shipbudcrS.
Ii is well TO be mod st in asserting American
claims respecting naval ornaments. AT least
four Europcan Powers are markedly IN ad-
vance Of the United states in the symmetrical
fcvcl1ymcnt of their naval resources. But
when the melancholy dccadcncc Of the Navy
IN lsS2 is borne in mind, the Improvement
during the decade is most remarkable Per-
h., f,.fnr vessels of tho
Navy are those which were. built from Eu-
Korean designs. There are not many OF these.
for the n-judgcd attempt to di>crcdt Ameri-
can expert talent was rot perSeVered III ; ana
The new Navy Is a whole is not only bullt Ill
Surclior way, but it is also essentially original
in design If the naval review had been de-
feIrcd "A single wear the comparison would nave
LCon even mOic favorable between foreign ana
American ships. Secretary Tracy during his
administration did not duplicate a single Eng
lsh design. and provided at least three types
Of naval construction so original as to be iariy
unique. These are an armored cruiser superior
in every respect to the Blake commerce
DESTROYER with a speed of - knots and a coal
endurance sufficient 10 enable her 10 sail around
the world without rcplen>hing her bunkerS,
and battle.hip with the highest defensive
qualities. Not one of these new types was
reJrescntod in the review.
Whatever differences of opinion existed ten
wears ago respecting the necessity for the con-
structicn of a new Navy, the policy is now
support d 50 strongly by public opinion that
feeble minority protests are no longer hcad.
The review this week has served useful pur-
pose in arousng popular interest in the new
feet Americans not only feel that they have
at last ships of war Of which they have no rca-
son to be ashamed, but they are also convinced
that the supreme ends Of peace and national
security have been promoted by the develop
mcnt Of naval resources. With the rich towns
of the Scaboald exposed 10 attack from the
powerful lcci> of maritime Europe and without
a Navy to defend them, the chances of war
were multiplied. Now that there is forn-
dabc feet ail0at and under construction, and
that ioundlics and shipyardS have the plant
for forging guns and arnOr and building and
anm;ng cruisers and battlcShipS as lar'
the same work can be done =; .,nJ '''I .e
danger of war is erc".' '' Wv
.0ly more sccubc. \ power
Na''i j. ''i n6t only good thing to look at in
",JWn show, but il is also useful and neccs-
Sary protection for great nation under the
conditions Of modern progress.