Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-27

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IM l(ssANf ways hostile to for
INN h\ NI eigners, may take adj
\Mh vantage Of the oppor-
\WN ~ tunity to murder few
T missionaries and other
~ American residents.
They have committed such outrages before.
Under present circumstances the emperor's
government might not be disposed to pay in
demnity or make amends for injuries of the
sort. In that case there would be war. OF
course, it is popularity imagined that the king
dom Of the dragon would have no chance in q
conflict with Uncle Sam. Those who enter
lain that notion are not aware that China is
ono Of the greatest naval powers of the world.
Six years ago she stood eighth in the list of
lions In respect to strength on the seas; the
United States stood nineteenth. She still holds
The same rank, though We are crawling up
Rapidly.
A war between the United States and China
would be at the outset q naval conflict. 1t
would not be fought in midocean; nor is it
likely that the son of heaven would send his
ships across the Pacific to fight with the
Yankees. Uncle Sans vessels would have to
20 and tackle the slant-eyed heather in their
own waters. It is doubtful if they could be in
duced to 60 out of sight of their own coast. In
time Of peace their squadrons are never
stationed in other parts Of the world. as those
Of the European and American nations are.
They are kept at home. In the event of hostil-
ffies the Hawaiian Islands would become of
for coal and supplies. Troops would be shipped
over the ocean from San Francisco under con-
voy. Of armored cruisers
THE CHINESE NAVY.
The Chinese navy has five armored steel bat
lie ships, which are among the finest In the
world The two largest. the Chen-Yuen and
the Ting -Yuen, each have ., $50 tons displace-
ment. Each of these sister vessels carries six
great Krupp guns and eight machine guns.
The Chen-Yuen is 3Os feet long and draws 20
feet of water. She can carry 1000 tons of
coal, has 6. 200 horse power, is provided with
turret protected by armor II inches thick, and
with her twin screws can steam 49, knots an
hour. The same description applies to the
Ting-Yuen- These ships are nearly as large as
the New York, which has a displacement of
Q, $50 tons.
In addition to these formidable battle ships
China has twenty-five unarmored vessels of
war-seventeen Of them built Of steel and
equipped with Krupp, Armstrong and rapid
firing guns. The biggest of them Is the Hal
An. She has a displacement of $3.50 tons and
carries twenty-five krupp guns of large caliber.
Yang-Tao, 2, 500 tons, has three lotion guns and
seven more Of half that size. The Ye-Sing is
precisely like the Yang-Tao as to displacement
and armament. The Foo-Ching. of $500 tons.
has ten Krupp guns The Chih-Yuen, 800
tons, is provided with three 12-ton guns. two
Atom guns. seventeen rapid-firing guns and six
machine guns. The Ching-Yue $500 tons.
has three 12-ton breech-lOading rifles. two 4
ton breech-loading rifles, seventeen rapid-fring
guns and six machine guns
OF MODERN PATTERN.
1t must be understood that the ships of the
Chinese navy are of the most improved modern
pattern. Nearly all Of them were built in Ger
many. Most of them carry those deadly and
highly civilized engines Of destruction called
fish torpedoes. Besides the thirty armored and
unarmored vessels referred to there is one small
wooden armored craft. the Tien-Sing, of 200
tons. There are also eleven gunboats of 325 to
40 tons displacement named with the letters Of
the Greek alphabet; thirteen gunboats of 100
to $50 tons and six floating batteries for river
service, each carrying three twelve-ton Arm
strong guns in wooden fixed turret. The
navy Of China is divided into provincial fleets,
desis mated the squadrons of Canton, Foo
Chow, Shanghai, Pei-Ho and the North Coast.
COMPARED WITH THE NEW YORK.
1t has been mentioned that the Chen-Yuen
and the Ting-Yuen are not quite so big as the
New York, which was launched the other day.
However, il the latter should encounter either
of these Chinese vessels in time of war she
would promptly run away. She is a cruiser and
not a battle ship. Whereas they are protected
by belt of armor fourteen inches thick, she
has only a four-inch belt. On the other hand
make her escape from such an unequal adver-
sary. 1t would be more fair to compare the
Chen-Yuen and the Ting-Yuen with the steel
coast-defense battle ships Massachusetts,, In
diana and Oregon. These gigantic vessels will
each have six turretsand displacement of 10. 200
tons. Each of them will carry four thirteen
inch breech-loading rifles, eight eight-inch
breech-loadiLg rifles, four six-inch breech-
loading rifles, twenty-four rapid-firing guns and
four gatlings. Thew will be floating fortresses
r,f Ia p,,&&
are hardly more than half finished At pres
emit We have no ships that could tackle the Chen
Yuen and Ting-Yuen-
OUR NEW NAVY.
The new navy of the United States will in
olude fifteen armored vessels. OF these, five
are iron monitors of the Miantenomoh type
Three are great battle ships for coast defense.
Two are armored cruisers. One is a harbor-
defense ram and another is a sea-going battle
ship. But only of these vessels is now
finished and in commission. namely the Mian-
tonomoh- The list also embraces thirteen pro-
tected cruisers, six gunboats, two dynamite
cruisers, one torpedo cruiser and three torpedo
boats All but five of the protected cruisers
are commissioned and ready for service Four
of the remaining five are launched Four of
the gunboats commissioned, the other
two are launched Tho dynamite cruis-
ers, the torpedo cruiser and two of the torpedo
boats are completed and in commission.
States on the no mentlon has been made
Of the good ships which have carried the starry
nag for so many years. while vet the new
navy was unthought of. Perhaps the omission
will be best explained by quoting Secretary
Herbert, who says: In mid ocean our old
vessels, with their antiquated guns and low
rate of speed, would not. all put together, be a
match for a single frst-class modern battle
ship. The latter could choose its own distance
and with its high-power guns sink out ships
one after another at pleasure" All Of the
vessels which composed the navy up to 1888
will probably be withdrawn from active service
within three years from the present date.
MORE BATTLE SHIPS NEEDED.
The government has provided for a sufficient
number of cruisers, Secretary Herbert thinks.
More battle ships are wanted now In battle
ships consists the fighting strength of modern
navy. With seven or eight more of these and
reasonable number of torpedo boats for ac-
cessories OURS would rank fifth among the
navies of the world When naval estimates are
being considered in Congress arguments are
often made with intention to show that the sea-
coast cities and population only are interested
IN supporting a navy In fact, four-ifths of
the exports of this country products of the
held the forest and the mine. The producers
of these articles bnva