Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1895-08-02

work of building goes on steadily,
swiftly, almost feyerishly, at many
public and private dockyards. Were
whole new navy to be created, or
were a great naval war positively as
sured for the near future, little more
energy could be displayed than is
now shown in these piping times of
peace. Especially is this the case in
England. The late Government rep
resented the principles of peace, of
non-aggressiveness. of non-interfer-
ence in Continental affairs. Yet it,
more than any of its predecessors,
committed the Nation to the policy
OF making and keeping its navy
stronger than the united navies of
any two possible rivals. 1t entered
last year upon a five years scheme
of naval expansion entirely without
a parallel in history. 1t has now
gone out, and a new Government
come in, probably to stay in for a
number of years. With that contin-
uity of policy which in many ways is
of so great advantage to England,
and which we, perhaps, might well
initiate, the new Government will,
however, adopt and carry on its pre-
decessor's plans almost as exactly as
though they we're its own.
This scheme contemplates a gross
expenditure in ls95-'96 of no less
than S93 sos, 900. That is Sc, 500
more than was spent in 1894 95 and
S22 ,3O4 500 more than was spent in
lS93-'94. 1t will provide for con-
tinuing work upon the great fleet Of
new ships begun last year, and for
finishing some of them. Among
those vessels are no less than seven
first-class battle ships, besides eleven
cruisers, four slOOps and forty-twO
torpedo-boat catchers; enough to
form considerable navy by them
selves. There will, however, be an
other fleet begun this year, compris-
ing thirty vessels. -Four will be first
class cruisers, something like the
Blenheim, but larger, swifter and
more powerful. Four will be second
class cruisers, of 5 $50 tons and TO-
600 horsepower each and a speed Of
10 knots with natural draught. Two
will be third-class cruisers, of 2,l00
tons and 1000 horsepower each,
and with a natural draught speed of
20 knots. They will be fitted with
unusually complete tOrgedo arma-
ments. The remaining twenty will
be torpedo-boat destroyers of ex-
ceedingly high speed. The years
plan also includes extensive repairs
and alterations of existing ships; the
completion of twenty-six and the
of nineteen more 10 inch
guns, besides a vast number of
pieces; new and improved
docks in all parts of the world, and
an increase of the number of men in
the service from about $4,000 to 49,
400.
These few facts and figures indi-
cate IN brief the work that is being
done by the greatest naval Power in
the world. That work will be con-
tinued with increased scope for at
least three years after the present.
The expenditure will average for the
whole period fully $IOO,O0O,OOO a
year. That will be in all $500,000,-
900 for warlike preparations at sea.
1t is a stupendous sum, and may al
most provoke the comment that
peace is costlier than war. More
oyer, it IS Chiefly &c 5e spent on ships
which are mere experiments and may
prove to be not worth a fraction of
their cost. 1t is a hideous Tavesty
upon the blessings of peace and OF
Christian civilization. Worst of all
is it, perhaps, because il cOmpels other
Powers to do likewise,in kind if not
in degree; just as Prussia's militar-
ism has made all Europe an armed
camp. Even here we must feel
of the impulse, ard build |
more and more powerful ships than
we should were it not for England's
sxtraord mary undertakings. It's a
necessity, but it is q ne
,essity. The chief consultations are |
hat we are far safer with a far
smaller navy than any other great
power and that we feel and shall feel
he burden of sea-gOing militarism
ar less than any other.