The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-01-06
TIE xrxr enorr OF SHIPS.
Type. OF Needed Vessels From which Con-
prcss tmn Make o suitable Choices.

press Can Make % suitable Choice.
wAsHtNdroS, Jan. h.-It may fairly be as
sumcd that the Fifty-second Congress docs
not covet tho record OF letting II session pass
without making some addition TO the new
fleet. Tho succo sive years since the rebuild
ing OF the navy began have differed greatly In
the number and cost Of the ships authorized.
but. thanks to their steady contributions.
larger or smaller. we have now a fleet to DO
proud Of The present Congress will hard
ly break In uron this custom. with
the programme OF construction still in
complete. The appropriations now made
will 10 for a democratic Administra-
ton to expend. 1t would DO extraordinary
should tho House leave tho new Secretary o!
tho Navy with no new vessels to plan during
his first year OF office. As during the long
session the department supply bills are habit
ually delayed fnr into the summer. he might
then wait more than n year. Experience shows
the difficulty OF beginning. completing, and
getting into commission any large ship with
in the term OF a single administration. IL n
year and n half should bo taken out OF tho
available time Of the new Secretary. it may be
imagined how much chance he would have to
sec any new battloship planned and brought
to completion. 80 as to he fully credited to his
term OF Office.
Assuming. thon. that the present House will.
for the sake Of its own credit. for the sake OF
the admitted needs of the country. and finally
for tho sake,o the new Secretary OF the Navy.
authorize tho construction Of some new ships
at the present session. tho question arises.
What vessels shall be provided? On this point
We have as u guide the views OF the House
Naval Committee. whose Chairman. Mr.. Her
bert. received so high n compliment In the re-
cent report Of Secretary Tracy. The three
principal types now under construction. and
likely to be continued. nro. first. the battle
ship OF 1O.2OO tons like tho Indiana. or
of ! LOO like the Iowa; secondly, tbs armored
cruiser OF $3.50 tons like tho New York. or
.slfsd lt eISi tns E sF S':SlS toa ssl lifs th see c tSisilPbbHi,
or tho Minneapolis. These three types. with
increased rather than diminished displace-
ment Tor each. are likely to 10 continued in
the immediate future. =,
When Secretary Tracy came into office and
proposed the big hattie ships, he suggested
ago he announced in his annual report that.
such had been the success Of TIE design
contemplated for the twenty, as originally
planned. Eight OF these, would be stationed
This view Is perfectly corroborated by the re-
port OF Mr.. Herbert at the first session OF the
present Congress-:
we sS or tsspi@ i prior rf 70 our tpp Si'i',w.n war r ,isertainiy NOT 100
m nnys no TO s at,er sRi:i ssTsG sSa,, a se Ws sn0w ", we , iaa' Ss.
iieved ourselves to POSSESS.
more tG tf arss.s sn.s P "aitle II ,h II . We "'i ,'sHs nova WA" only ,hrss
authorized, Eight or nins on mere cot, OF these. in Ssdi. ion
navy. sufficient. perhaps. FOR our purposes.
One such ship was accordingly authorized at
gun during the present winter. Mr., Herbert's
idea was thar an additional battle. ship should
be authorized each yenr. until the eight re-;
CURED for completing his programme should
be supplied. This. then. points out the .natu-
raj task Of the present session. But II the
cruiser its main contribution. since the latter
type Is rather less expensive. its justification
would be found in the following words OF Mn
Herbert'S committee:
Next in Importance 10 these are strong and swit COM
m msTsS 4 w,;n I'VE tn. snss % e .t 'a1 s ssS,c hSns' to %h proie ,' n Il.
crew against the desirnct'ye missiles OF rapid.rre guns.
tie World. rSm6'ned spssd. endurance. and nGht,as?ea ca.
pacity : nM'er"a Nothing can , he = mn more enc ,nys
this. especially wicn considered by n nation having =
large commerce aiioat.
As to the third. type. represented by the
Columbia and the. Minneapolis: the number OF
vessels indicated by Secretary Tracy as neces-
sSg is re- 70. o1r Gn fo rT 1s,G: Asfx Eag 81 Isd Geald 1r eRl
terminate the of any'country under
the present conditions Of commerce protection.
~solutelv preclude an attack from ~ commercial
State. however threatening in its demands.
Et9 70 fnrsir in ITS ns, arm9re Eut te e is or n aHse esnacte ID
and indeed not advisable. that further ships
OF this type should be added until one OF those
now under construction shall have been com
pleted aud tried. and. perhaps. not until other
battle ships. which nrc really. coast defenders
as we'll. shall have been added.
But Congress has also its choice among
special vessels Of much less expensive types:
vssss sna Ike n tSe Mni.e aa nrot ec Ic crSIs aImG Iiss
town-tbey all belong to an intermediate and
Il tyre for the future. Of very small cost. would
he the. torpedo cruiser OF from 800 to 1000
t tUas; knotS. sufficient coal CAPACITY.
rapid-0 fire guns. and IA powerful torpedo arm
ament. An appropriation nearly SUFFICIENT for
ono sucl. vessel has already been made. and
Congress might well complete it and add o
Still another class Of small vessels are those
for river service on the China ana Asiatic sta.
ton. Four such vessels were recommended
by Secretary Tracy last year. and IN his recent
report he declares that the necessity for them
viii undoubtedly arise and become urgent be.
fore the vessels can be built. and it is the firm
Ee'iI est 81 IN tue nnd psnnIifme ihem mat % n !i@ sSo slGu 10
OF about loo tons disp!acement with a speed
number OF REVOLVING cannon and machine
guns. Thoy will be inexpensive vessels. well
ndapted, for the service. apd so constructed as
having a length Of about 2:30 feet and a bean,
Si.Soo,oGo.' Of, which sum only a small traction
would be needed in this years appropriation.
To these and the torpedo cruisers might be
added n few torpedo boats, and all put to-
gether would cost only II small part 81 a single
Pat hatt lst, a 4, t hence sS eoHla a. be ye sasis,i mis6t i Ss
tHe lhtleT. All. tlrSc sltIilicI NcSSeio III pe
built on our inland waters.
The point for Congress to bear in mind Ia
that. In a short time. 0, all the vessels now
authorized only two will remain on the stocks.
1t is for the interest Of. tho country that the
great numbers of skilled workmen now ON
Dloyei In constructing vessels for the navy
should not he dismissed and scattered. through
Il needless interruption In the programme OF
building. which sooner or iater must 60 on.
Did Prayer. or VShiskcy. Save Hint
F,0u NE Ga'r'roa Dniiy N,ry.