Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-29

1t Is the Congressional habit to pay but
little heed to the recommendations Of the
President and the members OF his cabinet
This IL the practice even when the legisia-
tive and executive branches Of the govern
ment are politically harmonious. and while
there may sometimes have been wisdom In
the ignoring Of executive ideas the chances
are that the country would have been
much better of had Congress taken the
advice rendered It by men who. In the ma
Jority Of cases. had a reasonable comprs-
hension OF the subjects they discussed
What the approaching session of Congress
will do with the recommendations Of Sec
rotary Herbert OF the navy, has not yet
been foreshadowed, but there Is solid rea-
son for hoping that the Secretary's recon-
mendations as to a steady increase in our
raval force will receive favorable consid-
Grafton at an early day and be crystalized
into appropriatiye law before the Fifty
third Congress comes to end. Several
notable additions will be made to our float
ing defenses within a year or SO, but I'M
less authority is given and money provided
for the construction of additional ships of
war We shall fall considerably short of
having the navy that really ought to be
ours. The first class battle-ships, Iowa.
Indiana, Massachusetts, and Oregon are
approaching completion, especially the
three latter; the second class battle-ships
Maine and Texas will probably be in serv-
Ice before the summer IL over; the pro-
tected cruiser Olympia Is about ready.
while the armored cruiser Brooklyn should
be in condition for commissioning within q
year 50; the double-turreted monitors
Puritan. Monadnock, Terror and Amphi-
trite are all being steadily pushed toward
completion, while the armored ram Katah-
din will surely be afoat within six months.
This Is a good showing but II must be re-
membered that the greater portion of the
work that Ii now being done upon the
VESSELS named Is finishing In It's character
that when these ships are commissioned
there win, unless Congress does what the
Secretary and the country want 1t to do,
be an untimely cessation In the matter of
construction. Secretary Herberts argu-
ment in behalf Of additional ships Is one
that will doubtless appeal to every thought
full citizen who has the national interests
truly at heart. Says Mr.. Herbert;
without considering the effect Of the
cessation OF this work on Industrial condi-
lions. and disclaiming all obligation of the
government to engage In public works for
the sole purpose OF giving employment to
any class, however deserving. / respect
tionar defense II will be unwfse to stop en-
tirely the work of naval upbuilding; that
wisdom and experience demand that the
present well organized. highly trained and
exceedingly efficient body Of mechanics and
skilled laborers engaged In the work Of
naval ship building shall not. At least, be
entirely disbanded- With the stoppage of
this work many large plants now at work
for the navy will have shut down either
completely or In part, and their corps of
skilled workmen employed In the various
phases of naval construction and develop
ment be discharged and scattered, while
the plant and machinery for the produc
ton of vessels of war must of necessity
become idle and be allowed to deteriorate."
The necessity for battle-ships has been
made plain again and again; history has
shown their value and In the school of
bitter experience nations have learned les
sons that the United States should take ad-
vantage of. In his report last year, the
Secretary sketched some of the more i'm
portant chapters of latter-day naval his
tory and contended with unassailable logic
for more battle-ships and torpedo boats.
This year he recommends that Congress
authorize the construction of three battle
ships of about ten thousand tons displace-
ment each, to cost, exclusive Of armament,
not exceeding 100000 each. and twelve
torpedo boats Of from one hundred to
three hundred tons each. at the discretion
of the Secretary of the Navy. to cost not
exceeding an average Of $4,000.