The record-union., 1893-12-02
STRENGTH AND COST OF OUR
NAVY.

NAVY.
When the ships Of war now building
for our navy are completed the United
States will have, according to the report Of
the Secretary of the Navy, four first-class
battle-ships, two second-class, two ar
mored cruisers, six coast-defense vessels.
one harbor-defense ram. OF unarmored
ships we will have thirteen protected
cruisers, three cruisers. nine gunDoats
and one dynamite gunboat-in all forty
one. Of these, three are authorized,
nineteen are now in process of building
and nineteen are in service.
While such an array of modern boats
of war appears formidable, it puts US
only seventh in rank in comparison with
the strength of the navies of other ma
tions, with their many ships of war.
Thus, all told, the United States has in
her navy, serviceable for war, forty-one
ships and two small torpedo boats; Aus
tria has fifty-fve and sixty-three torpedo
boats; Brazil, seventeen and fifteen tor
pedo boats; Chile, eighteen and twenty
one torpedo boats; China, eighty-seven
and thirty-two torpedo boats; Denmark,
forty and twenty torpedo boats; England
four hundred and fourteen and one hun
dred and ninety-seven torpedo boats;
France, four hundred and thirty-seven
and one hundred and eight-one torpedo
boats; Germany, eighty-one and one
hundred and ten torpedo boats; Greece,
thirty-nine and twenty-three torpedo
boats; Holland, one hundred and twenty
seven and thirty-eight torpedo boats;
Italy. one hundred and forty-seven and
one hundred and sixty-one torpedo boats;
Japan, thirty-three and twenty-three tor
pedo boats; Portugal, ffty-three and four
torpedo boats; Russia, one hundred and
ninety one and one hundred and fifty
two torpedo boats; Spain, one hun
dred and eight and twenty-five torpedo
boats; Sweden and Norway, one hun
dred and five and twenty-nine torpedo
boats. All these nations are building
many more ships of war. We are sadly
deficient in torpedo boats, it will be seen,
which are so efficient in defense, and
largely in assault.
The Secretary Of the Navy informs the
country that, except the Hartford and
Kearsarge, all our wooden ships in active
service as cruisers will disappear from
the list within three years. and that not
one of our wooden vessels can be taken
into account in contemplating an effect
i've navy.
So that while, all told, we have one
hundred and five vessels of the navy,
there are but forty-three worthy to be
classed as of use in war, and all but five
of these are wooden ships, save thirteen
decayed and wholly useless monitors.
But while it is true that we have more
of sea coast than England. France, Aus
tria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain,
Chile, Brazil or China, we have not the
need that arises out of fear or political or
other menace which calls upon US to
maintain so large a naval force as most
nations. Our form of government, our
relation to the other parts of the globe
geographically, our few possessions
abroad-in fact we have none, except
harbor rights in two or three places, and
our unconcern about the balance of
power and encroachments by other na-
tions, relieve. us from the necessity of
maintaining as large navy as is deemed
necessary by European powers.
With the building of the three torpedo
boats contemplated out of the "Yesuvius
pattern fund.-" and gunboats 7, s and 9,
and possibly one more battleship and six
torpedo boats, which the Secretary urges
shall be now constructed, and which he
believes are demanded by our needs to
enforce terms dictated by justice. our
naval building viii probably cease for
number of years, and leave our fighting
navy by 1896 or 1898 at the number forty
EIGHT and still seventh in rank.
The cost of our navy built since March,
1885. including armament and equip
ment. has been $4,000. .432. and on it has
been expended S9lO,OOS for repairs. The
cost of the uncompleted ships authorized
since March, 1885, including equipment
and armament, will be S26. .7Ol,0 ,056. Thus
the total cost of the navy with allowance
of s., 566, 900 for the seven boats recon-
raendad ttakinr the OREGON rs the meas