Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-01
NAVY DEPARTMENT.
FIRST ANNUAL REPORT or sEcRE-
TARY HERBERT.
s.ror, Recommends ions--uncie sam Now
seventh in Importance Among tn"
Naval Powers of the World.

a,eeI navy, with the result Of replacing
with hleh-powered and formidable steam
.b,us nearly all OF the old timber-sides
,hs, made up the naval list at the close
q, iho war. The report also contains
strong recommendations, in some cases
OF radical nature. such as those touch
INK the proper scope of our faVorite
cruisers. which gather weight from sec
rctary Herbcrt's long experience In navai
legislation as chairman or the House
Naval Committee, and HIS thorough mas
ter OF the details OF the Navy Depart
mont
The report begins with n statement OF
The progress made since the last report,
disclosing tho fact that nine vessels have
been launched IN that space OF time'
while six new vessels have been com
pleted. accepted. and commissioned. Inc
speeds attained on trial were IN most
cases On excess ~ the requirements III
fact the large premiums secured cause
much comment The Secretary, however
argues that The premiums are not mere
gratuitics. or clear profit 90 the builders
~ the vessels They ire Incentives 10
diligence. and have not resulted In IN
Yustice 10 the government, for the snip
builders have always taken into their cal
citations when bidding the amount IL
vyes tcegihle 20 earn as premiums. TO
ayol disputes which have occurred IN
the past. ln the new contracts the con-
tractors have been required TO dcfTay the
expenses Of trial trips.
OUR NAVAL STRENGTH
The report shows that the total num-
her u seryiccablc war vessels now In the
United States navy IS n, 10 OF which are
armorc1. In addition there are % YES
sells on the list. mostly wooden cruisers,
tugs. and autlquatcd monitors, that are
81 down as unscrviccable for war pur-
poses. Tables are given. showing the
naval strength Of leading powers. and a
c,muarison drawn from them places the
United states seventh In the rank OF
naval powers.
Tho Secretary requests authority to
devote the $4,000 authorized Tor the
construction OF a vessel similar 10 the
Vcsuyius 10 the construction OF three tor
podo boats. and also recommends an in
crease Of the limit ~ cost OF the swift
t,rpedo cruiser authorized by the act Of
1880 SO as to enable the department 10
have this vessel laid down during the
next fiscal year.
4 recapitulation 81 the proposals issued
for new vessels during the year winds mp
with "a statement Of the BIDS Tor con-
sfructing the three new gunboats. These
bids were very much lower than any here
toforo received by the government, but
befpr" accepting them the plans viii be
examined by "a second board, which IS
expected ~ report this work.
ORDNANCE AND ARMOR.
The Secretary dcvOtes much space in his
report to tho discussion Of naval ordnance
and amor He says that the weight OF
foreign opinion is In favor Of limiting the
size OF guns 10 "a Pinch calibre and the
weight e. go toms. He believes that the
new s-inch ulckcl-steel gun. ready for as
semhlinp combining the employment Of a
material never before used for gun con-
stvuction. with am entirely new process OF
assembling Will give increased efficiency
at greatly reduced cost Of manufacture.
Comment s. made upon the growing
foreign practice ~ installing on war
ships NJ many rapid-fre and machine
guns as can Doe properly protected, and to-
ward the extension Of the rapid -tring sys
TEN to guns Of higher calibre
OUR NAVAL POLICY.
Probably the most important chapter in
the report treats of the naval policy of
the country. Nj Herbert recalls President
Clevcland's message 10 Congress in 1885
looking to an increase Of the naval cstah-
l-hmeut and Secretary Whitncys sue
Csssful efforts % inauguratc "a new policy
I'm this respect. lie says that our navy
has not Yet come up TO the standard.
whereas II should be as efficient. when
compared with others. as that which the
country possessed before the era of mod
crn ships. and when our scaports were
deemed 10 be. az they certainly are not
now, amply provided with fortincations
fully up To the requirements Of the age.
The Secretary says We have now build
ing only four vessels which can properly
be denominated first-class battleships. The
cruisers and runboats we now have built
and are building constitute an efficient
feet and will prove sufficient when they
sh,l all be In commission for cruising pur-
poSts In ordinary times and to look after
our commerce abroad. In time of war
these cruisers. aided 10y the Paris. the
New York. and the other ships being built
by Cramp Brothers for the American line
which constitute practically all Of our
auxiliary navy that Is valuable. will be OF
great use as commerce destroyers.
WE NEED BATTLE-SHIPS.
Rut unarmorcd cruisers are not, prop
pTly speaking. fighting vessels. They
can destroy merchant ships" says the
Secretary; they can fight vessels Of their
own class. hut they cannot meet armored
vessels with any reasonable hope of sue
cess. and in time Of war. scattered abroad
over the high seas as they would be II
we sent them against an cnemys com
merCe. they would leave our I'M
fortified sea-coaSt. with all its cit
les absolutely without reliance ok
cept upon our four first-class and two
second-ciass battle-ships. seven ooasl-de-
fence vessels and two little torpedo boats
These. II they We're all concentrated,
would scarcely be able TO create diver
sion OF an encmys fleet, and, II scattered.
would not furnish "a battle-ship or even
n torpedO-Ooat for the defence Of each
city. II we carried out such a programme
during war an enemy with n fleet OF
battle-ships could wreck cities while we
Were rohhlng schooners.
The Secretary makes a strong argument
In support OF the contention that the
navy has now sufficient number OF
cruisers and should be further strength
ened by battle-ships. He contends that
the military value Of commerce-destroy-
Ing fleet is easily over-rated.
THE ALABAMA AND SEMMES.
In proof OF this assertion. he cites the
cruises Of the Alabama and her sister
ships. saying that the exploits or
Semmes rivalled those OF Jean Bart and
Duguay- Trouin. and that history Will
rank him as one OF the most famous
rOvers OF the sea.
His success delighted the Confederates.
but II did not benefit their cause. Many.
indeed, Were the complaints made against
President Lincoln because he sent so few
ships TO search for the Confederate cruis-
ers, but he was too wise to listen to the
Clamor. The fleets OF the United States
were not to be thus diverted from their
purpose. They blockaded the ports Of
the Contederacy; they penetrated its rivers
and cut OF Its interior communications,
and thus II was that the navy rendered
service 20 the cause of the Union which
the public has never yet fully appreciated.
In the meantime, In spite OF depredations.
American commerce fiourished. Mer-
chants insured against war risks, and
individual losses were borne by communi-
ties. Commerce-destroyin was irritating.
but II decided nothing. IL would have
been Intellectual even II the Confederates
had possessed ten times many cruis-
ers. unsupported, as they were. by line
of-bat,le ships. IL our government. in
the future Ia 20 have naval strength
enough 10 command the peace and be In
condition to enforce the terms dictated
by its sense OF right and justice. II must
have more battle-ships. and must build a
reasonable number Of torpedo-boats."
ECONOMY IMPORTANT. BUT
The Secretary says no one can value
economy more highly than he does, but
the safety OF the country. Its honor. and
It's dignity, must rise above every other
consideration. and the programme OF au-