New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-02
or.p NAVY II THE FRONT RANK.
NEW YORK 80 LONGER pIrENcEI.F.SS- plfFlO' l."
THIS Al ENEMY WOULD MEET


TITS ~ ENEMY WOULD MEET
Washington. Juno ! oSpeciaD.- Commodore Heb
horn chief Of the Construction Bureau Of the Navy
a., recent conversation on the lessons To l." learned
~, -. naval onrareurnts between the fleets OF
fa,an and China made Interesting statements !" r.
gard 20 tho strength u our own navy an" '"'
,,.,s,i.s TIA, would be offered to an encmys i"et
i any hostile. demonstrate against our coast ''''
"our ships" said Commodore Hichborn are N"
.t.,.s, ,n,,, Of their class. cur now haiii"snlP.
h,v. ID sup.r.ors Their batteries ar" not 'I"''''
hy those - my other war vessels ms - oii'''y
,r,.. 81 our arinorel cruisers ana our Suhn"''s
-icans have no cause 10 be ashamed OF their
r,vv We have every reason - be proud OF me
,.-,, rrog~.ss made IN adding 10 tho number OF
our ships
..,vhcn u Is recalled that have hfiy modern
n,hilng vessels OF all class In commission "l III
course Of complexion whore ten years ago We h"'
no, one m. great progress We have made VIII Dc
o,precia,cl. At that time our old wooden V'ss"s
,.,,ed tho d.rislon of the world Enormous "a
,er. IN. resources of our country and our promi-
nence I'm commercial affairs We had rot 'lhs'e steer
shln carving the American nag. Even INN hd'
better navy than the United States TO-DAY W"
stand nfih IN tho lis; OF great naval powers b'ng
cscclleA only hy England France. Italy ana RUSSIA
IN the order named. Gcrmany's naval strength Is
about ON 4 rar with ours She ~ also adding yearly
10 the number Of her ships, AZ We are d""e' anu
Germany about keeps pace with us. ! doubt "h',"'t
a foreign feet could blockade or dnWaS" New l"lh
, foreign n.ct attempting to blockade great port
Ike N.y-york would find itself handicapped IN
many WAYS It's supply OF coal would run short ana
II this was furnished by transports sent across the
ocean FOR that purpose such vessels could be easily
DESTROYED unless adequate protection was given
,hem This Of course would lessen the number OF
vessels for offensive purposes
.Our coast defcnces about Ncw-fork are very
good and only vessels carrying guns OF the great.
eat ca,ibre could get within range Of the 'ty.
coss Npy or 500 for every discharge OF ,n'N' 49,
guns which is "A very expensive proceeu'"S' az
\ little while their supply Of ammunition "V o.,
r,n eh,rf Then too We could harass th"th III 81
thousand different ways. Th"y "ou,u ~" ~, Sn'n
hank their iires but would be compcru 10 n,'P
M steam constantly I'm order to ihoN' ~, Nv a H.
,ncnt's notice. They would be continually q" we
alert and this would rapidly consume 'l',r s S"l
NV Of fne. The Government cn'Vu pu' ' t
.r1r.s II necessary OF speedy steam yachls Ho,''
nriv,t. individuals and dt them ont with torpen'
tubes and send them against INC s'''"r, ~ 49, a,
when they would be III prepared for such an AT
tack. ,, n,,,,oor. Washington
xc"..oricans and cities similarly distant from me
sea an .nemys ship could practica,y 90 .o,n. ,r
Their great vessels draw so m",n hpamnci in the
harhors of all these cities in order 10 hpP,,oaS"
within firing distance We could easily blocK we
channel by sinking a lew n,om, 70 Keen them
out NJ range We might get them INTO :, tr"P ny
sinking other vessels In their rear ana ,hts
ming them in so our seacoast Is NOT as u,,s'i %
less as some Of our alarmists would nave us DC
ION the great lakes. should an ensmys vessels
get through. we would be AZ n naS"n rnnniiars
ma, might be utilized, We nave uhlor'u'a'r,H 'io
rnpld- firc guns with which TO arm them. ,myer
these circumstances me aE h, T', those Of the A
more from foreign war IMAM '"''o va Wv 80
l,ufic and Pacific oceans.