The Helena independent., 1894-11-18
Be A JOY FOREVER.
For Il Is Thing Of Beauty and Power; Is
tho New Navy Of Uncle
Sam.
SHOULD BE CARRIED TO PERFECTION.


Washington. Nov 17.-It may be
snfely assumed that Secretary Herbert
viii strongly recommend, IN his annual
report. the construction ~ at least one
new battle ship, ana perhaps Of several
torpedo boats. One more session re-
mains Ia the present congress, and 10
the democratic party as the responsible
majority In congress-, 10 show what II
Will do for the navy. Secretary Her
bert's subsequent appeals win be TO a
republican house, which may answer
them li6crally but he himself will have
the expenditure Of only "A single set OF
appropriations after those granted this
winter.
There Is every reason why the pres
cnt congress should seek 10 make "A
good record In this particular, before
going out Of existence. Tho mainten-
ance of "A strong navy has always been
good democratic doctrine. Under JEFF
ferson IA fleet was sent to the Barbary
States which forced Tripoli 10 make
peace and respect American rights.
hH'i shNhiNhh Aii' ildNhl klDilfN w lIlt
war OF 1912 We're won. jackson, In one
OF his messages TO congress, declared
that since an enemy would prepare TO
assail us on the ocean, "unless we are
prepared TO meet him on this element,
we cannot be said to possess the power
requisite 10 repel or prevent aggres-
sions."
The actual beginning of the recon-
struction Of the navy by the. building
of steel ships occurred under Secretary
Chandler, with an appropriation OF
about ~ '5OO,O 900; but the democrats, who
controlled the succeeding house, voted
still larger appropriations at each ses-
sion. When Mr.. Whitney took charge
of the navy department he gave great
impetus TO the building up OF the new
navy. Al the first session under his adj
ministratlOn two armorclads and the
cruiser Baltimore We're provided for,
and appropriations We're also made
toward the five double-turret monitors
and for the Vesuvius. The second ses-
sion authorized the coast defender
Monterey; two more cruisers the San
Francisco and Philadelphia; two gum
boats, the Concord and Bennington,
and the torpedo boat Gushing.
In the following congress the house
was also democratic. At its first ses-
sion IL authorized the New York OF $3.50
tons, the Olympia of $500 the Clncin-
natl ana 1ialeigh OF 3,lSl each. the De-
troit, Montgomery. and Marblehead OF
1000 tons each, and the practice vessel
Bancroft This was certainly splendid
work for "A single session. and the fol-
lowing year the same congress author
lied the ram Katahdn and the gun
boats Machias and Castine.
In the Fifty-first congress the house
was republican. and Secretary Tracy
had succeeded to the charge of the
navy department. The vigor which had
been shown under his predecessor i'm
authorizing new vessels was kept up.
Three great battle ships, costing up
ward OF sS,0O0,000 each, together with
the Columbia, costing S272bO0O, and
the torpedo boat Ericsson, were author
ized at the first session, these contribu-
tions to the navy aggregating upward
of "a, 900 tons and costing upward OF
$l2 000. 600 for hull and machinery alone.
At the following session this congress
satisfied itself with authorizing a mate
10 the Columbia. The first session OF
the Fifty-second congress, In which the
house had again become democratic,
made fine contribution to the navy in
the armored battle ship Iowa. 1l.296
tons and the armored cruiser Brook
lyn. 9,153 each being the largest vessel
of its class In our navy and the two
costing I'm round numbers 100000 600.
But that may be said to have marked
the climax I'm new authorization. The
second session OF that congress con-
tributed only three light draught gun
boats, having an aggregate tonnage OF
less than 1890; while the recent session
of the present congress fell on sun
further. by authorizing only three
small torpedo boats. and used an old
appropriation to pay for them.
II is only fair TO say that both the
present congress and Its pred
ecessor were heavily handicapped by
the stress OF the treasury, and that
otherwise larger additions to the navy
would have been made at the last two
sessions. Again, the appropriations
required for wholly new authorizations
is often but n small part OF the navy
bill. The main burden OF late has been
that Of paying installments upon ships
formerly authorized and of providing
ornaments for them. Thus II turns out
that the present congress has been IN
that sense still more liberal than its
immediate predecessor. The two navy
approprlations uf the Fifiy-seCoud
congress were respectively S23,biS, 266 60
and s22. l04. .061 rs, whereas the appru-
prIatlon of the last session Ot the pres
cnt congress wasS25. SS5 S2672 and the
estimate Of Secretary Herbert for the
present year reaches nearly t3lOO0,OOO,
| Even surprising thnt this estimate
should be reduced In the nppropria-
tions 10 SOS. .OOOO 900, the navy appropri-
atinns for the present congress would
be very crcditable, aud far m excess
Of those of It's predecessor The zeal
| of the house naval committee IN
strengthening the navy Is indeed be-
yOnd question.
SuIl. the facts already srt forth show
| that Il Ia desirable th authorize more OF
mn Increase this year. while the pres
lent congress has had to provide for
Icarrylng ON work FOR which its prodc-
Iccasnrs got the credit II stlll remains
Itruc that it has only three torpedo boats
to claim as its own In fact, these ana
the trio of small gun boats are all the
Inrw construction thus far given TO See
Irctary Herbert, ns cuntrasicd WIN ihc
numbers uf powerful ships planned ana
Ilnid down by his predecessors. Apart
from this consideration, II IL well 10
Iuvoid tho appearance OF giving check
| tn the progress OF the navy.
The wcll-settlcd programme ls thal
of adding frst.clnss battle SHIP al
leach session until total NJ ten or
twelve shall have bcou reached. For
two Years I'm succession thla authori1n-
tnu has been nut IN fnr special roaspuN
hut the cu,ning season should see that
Ipolicy resumed; and N half "a dozen tor
Ipedo bnuts are also authorized, no much
| the bcttcr it will I've fore the naval necdH
OF the futEro.