The Portland daily press., 1895-06-01

the coast between Portland and Cape Cod
connecting with the Admiral's head
quarters; the provisioning and coaling of
the fleet base, wherever selected, the tor
pede boat bases, and the lookout sta
tions If the fleet is forced to withdraw
to interior waters, for example to Penob-
scot Bay, suitable anchorage must be se-
lected there and protection planned by
the obstruction of channels or otherwise.
Finally, these elements are included in
the general study of coast defence:
s:Plan organization ana administration
of the improvised naval defence. What
form should it take? OF what elements
composed? Its bases of operations being
determined by strategic considerations,
plan their defence without aid from our
regular ma val forces:
"Locate intrenched camp at most fav-
orable point in the theatre of operations,
to receive drill and distribute seamen
and marines to fleet, and to threatened
points of the coast. Plan organization
of camp, lines of supplies and transpor--
tation. Where establish central naval
hospital?'' M
1t will be seen, therefore, that the ma
val problem for 1895 gives plenty of scope
for study and for the exercise of skill
/ 1t is less available than last years for ac-
tual reconnoissances of the areas con-
cerned by steam launches from Newport
except, perhaps, at Nantucket Sound,
and it is not of an Importance quite SO
great as the defence of the chief city of
! the country. Yet it is obviously among
| the problems of the first order of practi-
cal value.
| AS last year, also, the interest and value
of the study are enhanced by founding the
problem on nearly existing conditions,
instead Of imagining state of affairs for
the far distant future. The force of ten
battle ships and armored cruisers pro-
posed for our feet exceeds little ou1
total built and building of these classes,
since there are only six now nearly fin
ished, including the New York, already
complete; but two others, the Iowa and
EBrooklyn, are we'll along, and Congress
has authorized another pair of heavy bat
tie ships, which are soon to be begun.
The hypothesis of fifteen cruisers does not
exceed what we actually have, assuming
that they could all be united; while the
finishing of the three Newport News gun
boats would make good the quota of that
class, even leaving the half dozen new
| composite gunboats for foreign station
duty. OF monitors we have more than
the number supposed; of torpedo boats
built building and authorized, nearly
the number. The absence of some vessels
on foreign stations and the needs of the
Pacific coast and other ports of the At
lantic might prevent the concentration Of
all our fleet for such operations, but, on
the other hand, there might be some ex-
| temporized cruisers and torpedo boats
from the merchant marine Then, too,
| any hostile landing force would find an
armyto oppose it, although the study Of
our naval officers is not unnaturally linn
tied to what they could do with the crews
of their feet This limit, in fact, viii
also develop what the fleet alone col Id
accomplish elsewhere, as on the Istlmus
or in South America.
Thus this problem, aided, as it will be.
4 by lectures of high value, will furnish