The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-02
CAPITAL CHAT.
BattIeships Come High But
We Must Have Them.

Torpedo Boats Are Also Much In Vogue
In Fighting gCircics-Sherman and Gresh-
am-The Chinese Dancc-'sNo Sleep Till
Morn" Continental Sunday.
WASHINGTON. Feb. e.-TSpecial l-Great
interest has been taken here In the debate
on the naval appropriation bill. Not
withstanding the governments financial
condition, the friends of the navy have raj
lied in strong force, and tho work OF
building ships and torpedo boats is to con-
tinuo IL not as rapidly as some members
OF congress and Secretary Herbert would
like, still fast enough TO keep up the
growth OF tho navy. 1t Is rather remark
able that our naval authorities and those
of other countries as well have had to
90 TO the far east for their latest lesson In
naval construction. We have learned from
the Chinese Japanese war that our great
need Is moro battleships and torpedo boats.
Cruisers are all right in their place. but
they arc much moro useful in peace than
In war. AS a navy Is built for fighting,
Secretary Herbert and his assistants argue
that we should increase our fighting
strength. A first class battleship Is an
expensive luxury. IL costs about $4,000
600 to build and at least $500, 900 year
to maintain In service.
Active Little Destroyers.
Torpedo boats are now much In favor
throughout the world, and Secretary Her
bert is glad congress shows willingness
To give him money for the construction OF
more vessels of this type. The secretary
has called attention to tho remarkable &C.
tiyity In the building of torpedo boats in
other countries. The II most important
naval powers Of the world now possess
1. 300 torpedo boats, and Mr. Herbert
thinks it quito significant that the num-
Der of these craft now built or building Is
almost exactly equal to tho total number
of all available fighting ships In those ma
yies. This seems To pointin general way
TO the adoption by the best experts OF the
theory that every fighting ship should
have as a convoy, for purposes or otense
or defense. at least one Of these active lit
tie dcstroyers.
A valuable lesson has been learned from
recent English maneuvers. The English
carry on these evolutions precisely az II
they were hostile, with fleet arrayed
against fleet. They do everything that
would DO done In war except destroy
ships, and the judges carefully estimate
when q ship could have been destroyed by
the enemy. In this way they found In
seven days manouvers one battleship, six
cruisers and eighteen torpedo boats had
been lost. Now, look at tho value OF the
craft thus -battleship, $4,000, 900;
cruisers, SO, 900, 600; torpedo boats, loss
than SO, 600, 000 Number of men involved
I'm disaster--ba -battleship, 400 men; cruisers,
$50 men; torpedo boats, $50 men. In ar
riving MT these figures no vessels were
deemed as destroyed unless actually struck
by torpedoes with dummy heads, whilo
the number of torpedo boats lost was csti.
mated.
These arc somo of tho reasons why tor
pedo boats are coming so rapidly to the
front France has FLA such boats and Is
building Al more; England has 175 and Is
building G4; Germany has 1877 and is build
ing moro; Italy has III and is building 10,
including one submarines; Russia has i6j
and ia building IA; Japan has 2d and Is
doubling her fleet. Evon Turkey has 53,
Argentine %, Chile % and spain "a.
Tho United States at the present time has
just six Of these vessels, and throo OF thoni
arc not yet ready for service.
DIR. Gatiing's Guns.
An elderly, gray haired man often seen
about the corridors of congress Is DR. Cat
ling, inventor of the famous gun which
bears his name DR.. Gatling's guns are
now used all over the world. Probably
his machine guns are now used In every
navy. It is considered remarkable fact
that while America has furnished tho
world with the best type of machine guns
wo are ourselves importers of small arms
for the use OF our army. The riilo adopted
by tho military authorities, as every ons
knows, is of Norwegian invention.
Many strange friendships may be seen
In public and social life at this capital tn
the lobby of the house of representatives "a
week or so ago / saw tho great ohuns
promonading up and down engaged IN
confidential conversation. They wers
Bourke Cochran and Lemuel Eli Quigg
Democrat and n Republican, one "A large
fellow, voritablc giant, and the other no
bigger than pint of cider. On tho samc
day, as chance would have IL, saw at the
senate end Of the capitol two we'll known
men engaged in quiet confab In com.
mitteo room. They were Secretary OF
State Gresham and Senator Shoru,an
Bond of Sympathy.
This reminds me that tho bond Of sym
pathy between Sherman and Gresham is -
rather queer one. In the days OF tho war
General Sherman and Judge Gresham met
in the fold. The great Sherman liked tho
young soldier from Indiana, and the
friendship thus formed continued until
tho hero of tho march TO the sea was called
away. Now that ho is gone Senator Shcr-
man cho, cs Co continue the intimacy, and
he Is frank enough TO tell Gresham tn his
face that he docs it partly on account of
Tecump Senator Sherman loves tho
memory of his dead brother, and the name
OF the military hero IL never mentioned In
tho statosmon's presence without bringing
some tender word to the lips of tho sur.
vivor Of that famous family.
Washington society is going II rather
strong of late. On Sunday tho Chinese ball
broke up In the gray hours of the morn.
ing. That afternoon at tho tea at tho
German embassy brought out all tho fash
ionablcs. The samo evening musicale
at the residence Of Senator Bricc attracted
large company Of the social butterflies.
These Sunday afternoon teas and Sunday
evening musicales arc novelties here, but