The sun., 1893-03-07

The courtesy OF the Senate Is something
evidences. also, OF courtesy OF tho House.
and to this we may now perhaps ascribe In
part the satisfactory outcome OF the new
navy bill. There are three important diff
ferences between that bill as passed by the
House before the announcement that Mr..
HERBERT would be Secretary OF the Navy
and as the House agreed to it afterward.
The first OF these is the addition OF an item
OF $500 900 for the expenses of the great naval
review in May. We should be sorry to sup
pose that the House would in any case
have failed wholly to make provision for
those expenses. To invite the navies OF all
the world to a pageant in American waters
and then refuse to pay the money needed
for q creditable display OF our own ships
would have been IL shabby business. Yet
several Representatives were for doing just
that thing. although Mr.. HERBERT ex-
planned that the appropriation was mainly
for the extra coal needed, the extra powder
for salutes. the cost OF bringing ships to
New York for the pageant. the enlist
ments of extra men for the war vessels.
and the general preparations for the
parade. and that only about one-twelfth
part of it was for the entertainment OF
the invited guests. Even some members
who advocated this appropriation did so
with apologies and Mr.. BoUTEnLEs was
one OF the very few speeches that had the
true ring. welcoming tho great pageant as
n good thing for the navy and the country.
and as an appropriate honor to the immortal
voyage and voyager OF four centuries ago.
Accordingly. while it is probable that an
appropriation would in any case have been
made for this purpose. under other crcum-
stances 1t might have come more grudg-
ingly. or in diminished amount: or per-
haps with conditions hampering to the
navy and to the display. Probably the
spectacle OF an honored and popular Chair
man OF one Of Its important committees
pleading for this. the first great feature Of
his expected career as a Cabinet officer. was
not without its effect The House concluded
that this event should not be made on the
part OF our own navy humiliating failure.
It went further. and gave the full $500. 900
asked for.
A second gain was an increase In the num-
Der Of new war ships authorized. The
House had limited itself to one unarmored
gunboat for river service in foreign waters.
to cost not more than 100000. The Sem
ate provided for four such vessels. as Sec
retary TRACY had recommended. and also
for submarine torpedo boat to cost not
over S2OO.OOO. Had the House insisted
upon its view the Chairman of the Naval
Committee would have been restricted In
new construction to ono little craft but
the conference and Congress gave him three
out Of the four gunboats and also the sub
marine boat. the cost Of this last being taken
out Of an appropriation already made. The
gunboats are all needed, and since they can
be rapidly built Secretary HERBERT will
be sure of adding to the navy three ves-
sells of his own construction during the
next four years.
third change made in the Navy bill was
that Of increasing the enlisted force from
I $3.50. as now. to 5000 men. This gain was
! effected by making tho number OF appren-
tices 1900 instead OF 75o. That exact change
: was recommended by Secretary TRACY over
three years ago. in his report for 1889
There has long been need OF more men for
the navy on account OF the construction OF
new ships. 1t is true that the old ones
drop out as tho new come in; but the
modern vessels average larger displace-
ments. have heavier batteries. and
carry u greater amount Of ma
chinery. Vessels ordered to foreign
service have often been delayed until
their compliments could be got to-
gether by drawing upon other ships or by
other means. Commodore RAMSAY. the
Chief of the Bureau OF Navigation. advised
an increase OF the men and boys to 10000
The apprentices must all. under the law
bs American boys. 80 that here is another
stop toward having American ships manned
by American crews.
Thus 1t turns out that the Navy bill. whicl
had threatened in its original form t.
handicap Secretary HERBERT. now gives
him o good start in his new career. The
growth OF tho navy will not be checked. II
will continue to add protection to the peo
pie and prestige to the flag.
The Exit of John.