Arizona weekly citizen., 1893-04-29
OUR ENGLISH COUSINS
Deeply Interested in the Progress
 of Our New Navy.
Why no Battle Ships Will Parti- cipate in the Floating
 Pageant.

| w WASHlNGION, U. =. hpIu -O-A press reporter swho had today an interview
 with Sir John Hopkins writes as fol- lows: Vice-Aduiral Sir John Hopkins l in charge of the British Fleet which is I to participate in the naval review to- morrow is very distinguished British naval officer. He has seen much active service, and until appointed to com mand the British West Indian squadron was comptroller of the admirality. He looks typical mariner. His frame, not large but compactly built, was out lined in a closely fitting prince albert coat, with the insigua of his rank upon the standing. collar. and the colored ribbon of decoration pinned on his left breast.
 His face was tanned and his eyes hid behind half-closed lids, as though still seeking shelter after the vision had been strained by deep gazing at the distant horizon.
 His beard, with some dark hair still untinged with gray, was cut close around his chin.
 His manner was thoroughly quiet and self-contained; in fact, almost de- mocratic, and there was Rone of the exclusiveness ana reserve about him which one usually associates with English officers of high rank. Sir John d displayed keen interest in our cruisers.
 I asked him what he thought of them, and how they compared with his own ships.
 "The Blake" .he said, "is of course, larger and faster than anything else here, but that Hooking through an open port at the Philadelphia is fine ship. Your cruisers, stand up we'll and make a good showing"
 Then the admiral turned interviewer, and asked about our crack cruiser, the New York. He wanted to know when she was coming to Hampton roads, and when told she would not be here ex- pressed his regret and said if she was still at Cramps yard he would run over there from New York and take look at her.
 We feel rather proud of her." ven tured the correspondent. You should be, as l have no doubt she is a splendid ship. There is no | reason why your country should not have a great navy, as not only are you | able to profit by everything that other | nations have done, but the usual in- ventiveness of Americans should lead to | improvements.
 "You have not had to experiment. with guns, as we have, and your adoption of the Harvey process of armor gives you an excellent material; so good, in fact, that we have been led to adopt it. "Naval architecture is constant | development, and the last ship built IS always a litt,e better than the ore be- | fore it."
 "4 good deal of regret has been ex- pressed that England sent none of her l battleships over. It has bsen suggested that they could not cross the Allan 1"
 Sir John laughed. "I can assure you.' he said, ''that was not the reason. The modern battleships are perfectly 1 seaworthy aud encounter as rough wea- ther in thes Channel and m the Bay of
 BIscay as they would in crossing the Atlantic.
 ''I cannot tell you why some of the | bat'leships were not sent here. but I | presume that our authorities consulted II
 with other powers, France and Germany, | and found out what they were going to do, and acted accordingly, and then you know that these things do not always appear the same to people at distance as to those on the spot.
 "The admiralty may have thought that all that was wanted were ships to help increase the general number here. and so simply ordered five vessels, with out regard to what they were.
 "For my part l am free to say that I should have liked to have had England represented by one of the best sbips of each olass, the Royal Sovereign as the latest, and best battleship afost, and cruisers of the various classea.T
 The hull of the Blake and all the other English ships are painted black. and the admiral was asked why his vessels were not white, like our cruisers. Ut cost too much. If you paint a ship white you have to constantly keep touching her up, and that is expensive, It is 6 wonder to me that your navy does not adopt some other color. White l