The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-11-16
CALLING FOR SHIPS
NAVAL ARCHITECTS AND MARINE
ENGINEERS IN SESSION.
Rear A dmiral Meade Wants Fewer
Cruisers and More Batt1eships-
What a Model Fleet Should In
clude-Reasons for Japan's Naval
Superiority TO China.


NEW YORK, Nov. 15-The second general
meeting of the society of Naval Architects
and Marine Engineers met today in the
rooms of the American Society Of Mechan-
zeal Engineers.
Clement A Griscomb was elected presi-
dent aud Washington l.. Clapp. United
States navy, secretary-treasurer- The fol-
lowing vice presidents were elected:
Charles II. Cramp, Phillip Hichborn,
United States navy, Charles IL.
Loring, United States navy retired
r. w. Mead, United States navy:
George w. Melville, United States navy;
George W. Qlintard. Irving NJ Scott.
Francis A Walker, William II. Webb aud
Theodore d. Wilson, United States navy.
''Some suggestions OF prnfe,sio expzr-
fence in connection with the naval con-
structiou of the past ten yeats" was read
by Richard " Meade, rear admiral [ uited
States Navy. az hal my way" he said,
mot a single cruiser should be added TO
TO navy until at least twenty battle ships,
100 torpedo boats and Il number OF rams
were ready for service.
WHAT A MODERN FLEET SHOULD BE.
Tine vessels least satisfactory the
practical men of our profession are the
Columbia, Minneapolis, D-Irolt aud CIn-
cinnatti The Majestic and Teutonic can
laugh at them for speed. As to lighting, 4
doubt the superiority of he Columbia over
The American line New York, suitably
armed.
Naval opinion in the main today is that
an efficient fleet for modern warfare should
be COMPOSED Of the following component
parts:
'.Arm0red ships for coast defense, arm
ored shius for harbor defense aud arrnor-d
cruisers. The bat cry and torpedo outfit
being of the heaviest and all vessels built
10 ram if necessary
"Of the rapid tyne of cruisers, for COM
mercs destroyers, | know noue that better
fulfill my idea than the ocean liners
Lucania aud Campania- These ships, Ia
my judgment, are the commerce destroy
ers of the lururr."
WHERE JAPAN EXCELS CHINA.
In conclusion Admiral Meade called at
tention to the present war between Japan
and China, pointing out the fact that
China with fine fleet and incompetent
personnel, was defeated by japan with an
iufrrior fleet but trained personnel.
IF we are TO have policy, let us have
one, for heavens sake, that Will outlast the
brief space of a presidential term"
In paper on Some Obstacles to Ship
Building ard Owning in this Country"
In order that the United States may
participate in ocean commerce to the ex-
tent that her own imports and exports
entitle her To. there must be first, a
patriotic ambition throughout the country
TO carry the prCducis of our industry under !
our own hac; second, wise national laws !
TO prot eel aud foster our merchant marine; |
third, state ana municipal laws on the |
part of sea girt states and maritime cities, |
encouraging ship building aud ship own !
ing within their borders.
The British government fosters mari |,
time exhibitions, naval maneouvers are |
carried on and all the traditions of the |
naval mercantile fleets of England are |
made part of he education of the youth.
How remarkab bic the contrast between |
the intense loyalty 10 the maritime inter- /
ests of their country on the part of the /
British and the hopeless apa. by prevailing |
amongst us even in seaport towns.
NOT A GUN WAS HEARD.
AT the launch of the hattIeship Oregon /
In San francisco, no government ship was |
there TO represent the navy. Not guu |
was heard to herald the event. the build |
Frs, to make a decent show, had to 90 |
around and beg the English merchant
sbIrs TO dress up for the occasion.
q lite a large number of those interest
ed Ia shipping matters claim that as for
eign commerce can only be PR secuted in
direct competition with all the world,
American ships built of protected mate
rial and with protected labor. represent au
Invested capital so far in excess of their
competitors that, even with other things
equal. the contest Is too one-sided for any
hope of success. We are apt TO condemn
such presentation of :ne subject uupa-
tri'tIc, tut it is business, truth. We must
either build SHIPS for the ship owner at
the same price that pad for SIM
liar ship with which he completes, or else
give him the privilege of buying
his ship where his competitor buys hi, to
make the struggle an equal one. And as
with material and labor at present rates,
1t is impossible To meet the European price
Tor merchant ship, and il being the will
of the people that ship building should
lave a like protection wit engine bui d ng
or bridge building. the free purchase oil |
ships abroad woIld be unjust to tue
ship builder as the free purchase of engines
would be To the engine builder. L. was
therefore, that the American ship builder
should, from the public purse, be placed
on an equal footIn.. with his foreign COM
petItors.
SHIPS THAT PAY TAXES.
"The cousJitu ioL of the state of Califor-
MIA provides that all property, real or per-
sonal. found within the state on "A GER ain
date of each year must be- taxed on its
&C ual value AT the time. Thus the vessel
owned and registered In San Francisco ana
NaIpSu at S-lO,uuu, mas To pay the same
CITY, county and state taxes as a building
on Market street valued at the same
amount The vessel can receive no benefit
whatever from The expenditure of the
faxrs that 20 materially reduce her money
earning power
Commodore Hichborn said: 1T is the
stlt CHI IN time tlat saves nine" aud then
be gave full account % how the n,ces-
sary stitch Ia time should be gone about
a plea far larger and more numerous dry
docks ended MIR, HIJchborn's paper He
showed that there was no dry dock IN this
country that could accomm odate our four
large EattleShlps which are now under
course of construction.
In his parer on Yachts in America and
England, Lewis Nixon explained how It
was the differences IN opinion between
Americans ANA Eu g!ishmen regarding the
center board started.
1u conclusion Mr.. Nixon said: The
races for Americas cup have fCs cred our
nailonal prize aud kept awe an interest
IN yacht racing which will most Certainly
~ mulate our designers and yacutmln To
such efforts as viii always insure our
beepiug he cup on this side OF the At.au-
Tic"