Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-05-02
NEEDS OF THE NAVY.
II Requires Long Special Study to
Find Them Out.
Congressman Cummings is impatient to Ge-
iend the Naval Bill.


sure US that the appropriations bills are
going along swiInrningly and viii soon be-
come laws and yet all sorts of little diff
culties spring up, and the thing drags.
Hon. Amos Cummings, chairman of the
committee ON naval affairs, is getting
somewhat inpatient to be defending the
bill which comes next on the calendar aft
CT the army bill and the river and harbor
bill. There will, - says Mr.. Cummings,
''bc at least three very pretty little fights
over our bill, but we have prepared it with
such careful regard to existing conditions
and demands that we expect it to become q
law exactly as it now is. The Republicans
will probably make Il sharp fight in favor
Of two or three more battleships, and some
of both parties will no doubt object TO APP
propriating money for rehtting the old
Hartford. They viii claim that it is mere
matter Of sentiment, as the Hartford is Far
ragut's old flagship and ono Of the only
two really historic government vessels we
have since the kearsarge went to pieces on
ROncador reef but it Is not all a matter of
sentiment by any means Her hull is in
tiptop condition, and with modern ma
chincfy and battery and a general rcflt-
ting she will serve as u splendid flagship
for many a year yet.
Sew Features.
"Another item over which there may be
some strligg., Ii that of $500, 900 for the
Chicago. She was the first OF our armored
cruisers and has been in service II years,
50 sic is now counted slow vessel. With
new engines and new machinery we can
save space and increase speed and make
her practically IL new vessel Now, the
main points Of this bill have been published
by fits and starts here and there and some
brief summaries Of our report on it, ard
yet there are several new features in it
which have scarcely been noticed. One is
that any foreigner who has served five
years in our navy or one unbrOken enlist
mont in the marine corps and been honor
ably discharged shall be admitted to citi-
Zcnship upon application under the same
conditions as If he had lived in the coun-
try tho required number of years. In other
words, no matter in what part of the world
he cnlsts his time runs in our navy just
as If he had landed in the country and de
clared his intention on that day. / do not
think there will he any opposition TO this
clause, though there may be You see,
these men have no opportunity to acquire
citizenship, and yet 1t is morally certain
that any man Is well fitted for it who HIS
stool the test of five years in our navy.
Why, we have foreigners who have served
go years and are not yet entitled to any
privilege Of citizenship.
A Contrast to other Powers.
"Take notice also that we have neither
increased nor decreased o salary, and that
while the secrotary's estimates were for
$27, o5l, 270 we have appropriated but $25,-
2S0,GJG Now, 1t has from the beginning
been Democratic doctrine that the navy
was to be supported literally, while u
standing army was to be kept down to the
limo of what was absolutely necessary and
we found that the contracts for which the
secretary asked this So, 800, 900 could not
be completed till 1896 anyhow, and SO
there will be ample opportunity to appro-
pirate whatever Is needed at the short
term. Md right here comes in the deli
cate question as tn how far we are justified
in going ahead with now contracts while
important questions are in doubt You
must remember that tho French have
found tie Magenta worthless and the
English confess themselves afraid of their
old vessels and have appropriated $50 600,
600 for new ones. 1t Is Just as we'll to wait
awhile anyhow, for it may turn out that
many of the supposed ocean tcrrorS of this
day arc moro terrible to sailors and tax
payers than to the cucmy. But my, what
contrast we present TO other powers, after
alto England. with 227 torpedo boats:
France, 223 Italy, 10; Russia. 1856 and
SO ON down the list to little Portugal, with
nine, and these United States have only
three.
Torpedo Boats.
"In addition to these there are now 1917
torpedo boats in the course of construction
in foreign countries and the latest types of
increased size and speed, SO the committee
felt impcled to provide for more. You
must not make the mistake SO many ncws-
papers do of confounding these torpedo
boats with torpedo vessels or torpedo crtis-
ers. We have authorized the construction
of four and the change of the Nesuvius
into boat of this class. To all this. rs |
said before, am positive there will be no
great objection, and the passage of the bill
will only be delayed by inquiries for expll-
nation of the minutir of the bill. 1t is not
necessary to go into any specific account
of all tho little details, because not one
person i'm a thousand cares enough about
III TO EtitiN uHAfFSltihl 1t, anu IL tlt ltt
can send for the regular reports The
amount of il is this: 1t requires u special
study--a study rs long as that required TO
start in II profoSson-to fully understand
the needs Of the navy, and we modcStly
think we have given it that study and got
up bill that Will go through without Il
scratch and in few days. And now that
we arp certain of the tariff bill passing the
senate with n good majority really see no
reason why we should not get away from
hero by the middle of June"
4 Vigorous Foreign Policy.
80 far Mr. Cummings, and only that
part of his talk which was on comparative
j. now points has been given, though the
whole was Of very great interest. There
seems 10 bc something in the spirit or in
the air of the naval departments as well Us
of every part of the navy which excites
grand ideas Of vigorous foreign policy,
and the sama sort of feeling is usually
manifest in any ono who serves in the
naval committee any length of time. This,
however. Is but the natural effect of each
man tendency to magnify his office. 1t
goes without saying that all naval men are
in favor of the annexation OF Hawaii.Ne
Said n Democratic member who does not