New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-30
yNGItND'S NAVAL PROGRESS.

The saving has become tritc and hlckncycl
,h,, the recent gathering Il the fleets AZ kicl
was the greatest ever seen. Yet II comprised
merely an insignificant part Of the armed haVl'S
~ the world The ships Of England alone were
they all brought together. would make mich
greater showing. Nor are the Powers content
with what they already have OF uniricd floating
forirrsses. The work ~ building goes on stead
ilv swiftly. almost fcv"rishly. NJ many public
and private dockyards Were n whole new navy
IL Dee created. or were "A great naval war posi-
lively assured for The near future, little more
energy could be- displayed than is now shown
in these piping times u pace. Especially Is ms
the case in ENGLAND. The late Government
represented the principles II peace. Of nonas
er,~siycncss. Of non interference" IN continental!
affairs Yet n. more than any - Us prcdeces-
.Yr.. committed lie Nation 10 the policy OF max
Ing aud Keeping IL navy stronger than III"
united nayics ~ any two possible rivals II en-
tered ls' year upon 4 five years scheme Of naval
expansion rnurrly without "a parallel in history
f. hh> now gone ont. and new Government
come in probably To- stay I'm FOR a number II
y,8rs with that continuity Of policy which in
many WHY'S l~ II So great advantage 10 England.
aud which We perhaps. might we'll initiate. the
on its predecessors plans. almost rs exactly a.
though ihcy were ia own
This ,.hcmc contcnplaics a gross expenditure
I'm 1870 'gG II no less than S93.Jo5.ooo. That j.
sGG7l.loO more than WAS sp,n, in 1874 %. and
Sg1,Ol. 800 NOR. than was spent in lSo3W. IL
viii provide for continuing work upon the great
fleet Of new ships begun las, year and Tor finish
iuy some II them. Among those vessels are no
l...sif l...
eleven cruisers. flur sloop> and forty-rwo tor
pclo.boat catchcr>; enough 10 form Il consid
cradle navy by themselves There will. however.
H., another fleet begun this year. comprising
thirty vessels -Four will be- trst-cass cruisers.
something Ike the Blcnhcm. but larger. swfl"r
and more powerful. -Four Will be- second class
cruisers. of 100 tons and 10000 horsepower
each and a speed ~ ~ knots with natural
.raughf Two will b. thIrdclass cruisers. ~
. 100 tons and 700 horse power cach and with
a nlfural-draughl speed Of 20 knots. They VIII
be- fitted with unusually complete torpedo arlna-
mems The remaining twenty will be- torpedo
boat dcstroycrs ~ exceedingly high speed The
wears plan also includes extensive repairs ana
alterations of existing ships: the completion or
twenty six and the beginning If nineteen NOR"
H. inch guns. besides Il vast number OF sniiil'r
ni.c.s: new and improved docks In all parts Of
the world and an increase ~ the number or men
I'm fine service from about 10000 10 Si40O
These few facts and figures indicate in brler
tbe work that Is being done by the greatest naval
Power in the world. That work will be con
timed with increased scope FOR AZ least three
wears after The present The expenditure VIII
average for The whole period fully SIOo.oOo,oW
a wear That will be- in all $JOO,OOO,OOO for war
like preparations M sea. II Is stupcndots sum,
and may almost provoke the comment that peace
IS costlcr than war Moreover. It Is chiefly To
he spent on ships which are mere experiments
and may prove 10 be not worth a fraction or their
cost II Is Il hdeous trnvcsty upon the blessings
Of peace and Of Christian civilization. Worst or
all is IT, perhaps because II conpels other Powers
to do likewise. in kind II not In degree; Just rs
PrrIsslas miltarism has made al! Europe an
armed camp. Even here we must feel some
thing of the impulse, and build more ana more
powcrful ships than we should were 1t not for
Epgland's extraordinary undertakings. 1t Is
rcgreftablc necessity, but II Is Il necessity. The
chief consultations are that we are far safer with
n far smaller navy than any other great Power.
and that we feel and shall feel the burden OF
sea going mlitarism far less than any other