The evening times., 1896-11-24
NAVY MUST Be INCREASED
Not Large Enough to Cope With Fleets
Of Other Great Nations.
MORE COAST DEFENSEs, TOO
No Doubt That Mckinley VIII Urge
Both Upon COngress-Suggestion
OF Bond Issue to Cover the Ex-
pense Not FavOrably Received.
Revenues Thought Sufficient.

Robert J. Wynne in The Netc York Press.
Washington, Nov. 22.-President Nc
kinley's election, among other blessings,
assures an administration which, in conJunc-
ton with Republican Congress, Will up
hold the navy and complete our coast de-
feuseS.
II VIII need no argument of distinguished
officers To convince Mr. Mckinley OF these
necessities. lie viii Impress upon our ma
uonal l.Gisla tors the Importance OF promptly
placing the United states on footing
equal 10 that of other great nations. As
a soldier, the new President Will appre-
,'.ie'- t..c Nirtue Oi preparing iOr War InJIine
of peace.
Better than his civilian predecessor will
lie understand that the best way to insure
peace is to make an aggressive show OF
strength. II Is the abiiiuy 70 punish that
IUrDlds afrront and commands respect from
Jealous foreign powers.
it would Ue premature to discuss this
Slbiect in advance OF reform in the rev.
enUc ws, were IL not that recent events
nave threatened a conflict A fight in
which the United States may become in
volved will not wait for tariff bills or
emergency measures. An enemy never de-
lays Ill taking advantageof circumstances.
pcoD hopisEsos> u haDE.
With increased appropriations for the
present fiscal year the work on torpe'loes
and vessels OF the heavier class has made
good progress. Under the stress of ex-
citing developments in Cuba most Of the
harbors nave hastily been put in "A reason
able condition of defense. To carry out
the plans which experts have matured,
however, millions more or dollars are
needed 10 present a respectable 1rUnt 10
an advancing fleet.
One of tSe main planks in the st. Louis
platform reads as follows:
The peace and security of the republic
and the maintenance OF its rightful lnflu-
ence amongthe nations OF the earth deTua nd
a naval power commensurate with its po-
sitlon and responsibility. We, therefore,
favor the continued enlargement OF the
navy nd complete system OF harbcr and
seacoast defenses."
In respect toHoreign relations, the Re
publican patforIhl declares:
PLATFORM DECLARATIONS.
Our foreign policy should be AT all times
firm, vigorous and dignified, and al our
interests in the western hemisphere care
fully watched and guarded. The Hawaiian
Islands should be controlled by the United
States, and no powers should be permitted
tu interfere with them The NicasstGu;in
Canal should be built, owned ana operated
Dy the United States, ami by the purchase
Of the Danish Islands we should secure a
proper and much-needed naval station IN
the West Indies"
The assertion of the Monroe doctrine
and an assertion Of sympathy with Cuba
are important features in this most com
prehensive program. The country Will,
therefore, put forward its best endeavors
i'll the direction outlined, but it must
always be prepared to maintain Its posi-
ton.
The Secretary OF tue Navy under Presi-
dent Mckinley VIII not write his report
until November, S9I He viii then have
been in office eight mo ntlis, but in that
time he will have acquainted himself fully
with the needs of the service.
MORE BATTLESHIPS 5 WANTED.
He will of necessity have to repeat the
argument 50 often made in favor Of more
battIeships and torpedo boats, which are
the crying need Of American sea equip
nlent He will have TO sho W that in view
Of the serio US aspect OF European politics
we are likely to be eLnbroiled with some
nation whose navy outnumbers our own
and Uutclasses US IN OTTER respects
Great but1 !. for instance. has pa ships
in service, not including her torpedo boats
she has Just finished, OF mas ia course OF
construction, AZ new vessels, Of which 10
are battleships. France, with la effective
vessels in service, has been building 33 new
ships, Of which are floating fortresses
with n displacement Of about $4,000 tons.
Russia has 100 ships in service, with Is
new ones to be commissioned, and Ger
many and Italy have, respectively, So and
SO efficient war vessels ready for action
Decrepit Spain has % available vessels,
with / torpedo boats, while Holland has
90 ali told.
The United States, outside of torpedo
boast, has S4 vessels in service and in
course of construction. These figures are
from the navy reports
JAPAN's HEAVY ORDERS.
Japan has placed heavy orders fer c,uis-
ers, which VIII put her among the iInpor-
tant naval powers OF the world, and China,
learning by costly experience that mere
numerical strength amounts to nothing
against modern engines Of destruction, is
about to become ship buyer.
Where England has sINty DattleSnipS The
United states has but eight. Against Great
Britain's armored cruisers, 100 in num-
ber the United States can only show thirty.
In tue unarnored class the disparity is still
greater.
This is not calculated to promote respect
for us abroad 1t is true that the newer
United States ships are OF finer models and
of greater speed and destructive power
than most foreign vessels in their class,
but the Republicans know they must prac-
tice liberality in boats and guns as soon as
they get the revenue.
The plan to which the War Department
has been welded for years in its defensive
operations contemplates system of forti-
fications at twentysevcn ports, requiring
81 guns and S24 mortars of modern Con-
struction.
The project involves an ultimate eNpendi-
ture OF 500, ZOO, 900, but as the Treasury
has been in a straitened condition of .ate
the building of the necessary guns and eH-
placements has proceeded somewhat TAR
Oily.
COAST FORTIFICATIONs.
Under the spur of Secretary Olney's live
ly correspondence with Great Britain on
Z Venezuelan boundary dispute, the last
Notifications bill carried over $4,000, 900
of expenditure Tor tine fIscal year, with au-
thority to make contracts involving u FUR
ther expenditure of S5,00o,000.
Tie gun and mortar batteries alone re-
ceived So, ,26o. 900 of the total sum. 1t Ie
quires two years from the date nf an dp-
preparation to procure forgings for guns
before the forgings can be delivered and a
gun Inade ready Ior service Tiic ulIiicJl-
ties in the way Of procuring arInamen. Gan
therefore be appreciated.
The situation, however, is much more sat
isfactory than it has been in recent years.
The government has established and equip
ped a gun factory capable of turning cut
yearly thrty-fivc guns of the types re-
quired, or enough to arm all the principal
ports of the United States completely with
in ten years.
BOND ISSUE SUGGESTED.
Contracts awarded to private plants have
contributed to the development of facto-
ries that can increase the output of the
lt1,