River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-12-05
HERBERIrS HOBBY.
1t Is the Further strengthening
of Uncle Sans Navy.
The Secretary Tells of the Operations of
His Department During the Year,
and Makes Some Important
Recommendations.

washington, Dec. 2-AdvocateS OF con-
tinuing the increase in the new navy Will
find satisfaction in the annual report of
Secretary Herbert to The president. The
secretary recommends the construction of
two battleships and at least " torpedo
boats, and he prefaces his recommends
ton with the statement that IAN inspec-
ton of the tables herein given. showing
the relative strength of navies will fur
nish, it is believed. all the argument now
needed for the continuation of the building
programme heretofore Indicated by the
action of congress. We are not in want OF
ordinary unarmored cruisers or gunboats.
but we are lamentably deficient in torpedo
boats. and we certainly need more battle
ships. An inspection of the building pro-
gramme of other nations will demonstrate
that the lessons taught at Yalu aid Wei
Hal Wei have tended to confirm the be-
lief of naval experts throughout the world
in the efficiency of these two classes of
vessels"
That gunboats and torpedo boats may be
built Cheaply the secretary points out
briefly. The gratifying progress made by
our manufacturers of steel and our ship
builders and the competition among them
has enabled the department during the
past two years, he says. TO contract for
gunboats and torpedo boats at very
large reduction from former prices.
Toward this proposed increase OF the
navy Ir Herbert estimates that $s,6SS,aS5
is necessary, and. inclusive of that amount.
his estimates for the complete expenses OF
the naval establishment for the fiscal year
ending June 30. 1897 aggregate $Z9.Sll 100.
out of the appropriation for the current
fiscal year. amounting to Sl4,2lz.SOl. there
remains S9422
With the exception of the appeal for more
ships, the most important topic treated by
Secretary Herbert is that of a reserve sys
TEN. He prefaces his suggestion that such
a system be established with some com
ment on the necessity for having more en-
listed men, and recommends that the en-
listment of 1000 more men be authorized.
Giving figures to show how small our en-
listed force is and how large those of Eu-
ropean countries are, he makes a compar
ison of our 13,460 bluejackets and marines
witn Germany's 21,4S. Germany's avail
able men, while not all at one time in actual
service on board ships, would. in case Of
war, furnish no lack of trained and drilled
material for the imperial navy, land.
says the secretary, ''in case of a naval
war, readiness, other conditions being
equal. means victory" In the emergency
OF war coming quickly, what should we do
for men? ne asks. All allowed by law are
enlisted. and all enlisted are already or
ships.
We have. he says. magnificent squad
ron II armed and manned but. he adds, we
have not man to put upon one OF them
and no authority of law to accept the serv-
in case of war, would volunteer to serve.
Mr.. Herbert says: "All this ought not to
be. 1t is the height of unreason to pay
heavy subventions to swift ships and call
them our auxiliary navy unless we have
the means of arming them; it is folly to
maintain these ships and procure arms
for them II we are never to man them, and
certainly it is unwise and shortsighted to
defer making any provision by law for
procuring the men who are 10 utilize these
vessels until after the emergency of an
always possible war shall have arisen.
'sThere is no other nation that has so
much of the material of war that is so
little prepared TO utilize it, that has so
much of personnel available and that is SO
utterly without authority of law to en-
ploy it. The department needs present
authority 10 enlist the thousand men
asked for. and this number Will be suff-
cient, If the policy herein outlined be APP
proved by congress-, to answer all the ne
cessities of the government while we are
so fortunate as to be on a peace footing;
il will certainly suffice for years TO come.
The secretary follows these arguments
with a statement as to the necessity of
keeping always a portion of our feet in
reserve. lie shows by tables that of the
total number of vessels belonging to Great
Britain, France, Germany and Italy BOO
per cent. are in reserve and 40 in commits
sion and says that as a rule our battle
ships. coast defense vessels and torpedo
boats after they have been broken in,
should be kept largely in reserve. Policing
the seas could be done better ana more
economically by cruisers of tighter draft
carrying smaller crews and by gunDoats.
The wonderful efficiency of the rapid-'ire
gun was strikingly illustrated in the battle
off Yalu in 1894 between the Chinese and
japanese fleets, and a gradual conversion
of the older six-inch caliber guns to tie
rapid-fire principle will be undertaken The
secretary asks $500.000 to carry out this and
other suggestions relating to ordnance
matters and emphasizes the necessity for
furnishing armament for the auxiliary
cruisers of the American line, the ST. Paul
and st. Louis. The department. he says. is
exercising every power vested in 1t by law
to secure guns and ordnance material, but
IL is much hampered by want of specific
authority and necessary appropriations.
congress having failed to give 100000 asked
for the purpose last year.
In this connection he incorporates i'm his
report some extracts from his report last
year, one paragraph of which is so inter-
esting that it is herewith given: Under
treaty provisions neither the United States
nor the English can keep more than one
small naval vessel upon our northern lakes.
SO far the two countries are matched. In
case, however, war should unfortunately
break out between them, Great Britain
could promptly furnish guns and gun
mounts to her merchant marine on the
lakes, and, though their marine is far in
ferior TO ours in strength. the British
might master those waters and do meal
culable damage to our lake cities If We
had reserve of ordnance and ordnance
stores we could dominate those waters
without question.