Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-12-10
UNCLE SANS NAVY.
Secretary Herbert Says That More
Slips Are Needed
White Great Progress Has Been Made
Towards strengthening Il. tge are IN
No Position 40 combat tie tsrs.5t
fowess ON. the sea.

Washington. Dec. THE secretary OF the
navy, Hilary Herbert. has made public
his last annual report - the president or
the affairs Of his department The dueu.
Hent. while afforaing much grouna sor con
graduation Is fro1a DeEiCnsag "a GRID q
warning 70 the country IL tae iuslaIiil eency
OF its navy fcI The requirements ~ war
tosshow, however, the vast Progress that
has been made Of late years. lGe report be-
g4ns by quoting from The Presidents ines
sage ~ December. fsS3. the foli5wIsS
words: we lags not s sk1Alc Fes5e, Of
war that could keep lie seas agai0s. a
/ first class vessel Of any important power
~ quotes also from former report Jf tire
| secretary Ia which ne pointed Out Ae dam
ger OF relying on eemus eee-.ie sI roy ine
cruisers as protection ia fiFae Of war.
7 ne French res lution ard the recent civil
war are cited as illustrations ~ the fact
that prey!Tg on a nations commercial
marine has no effect "a The course hor the
results Of a wer
Work of the Administration.
The secretary.s report shows taat con
gross has authorized the building Of 2s
vessels since this administration began.
There We're five battle ships. STA light draft
gunboats, IS torpedo boa Is and one sub
marine torpedo beat, with total displace
ment of b9.e66 tons. During the admins
tration there Will have been placed in COM
mission three first-class and two second
class battle SHIPS two armored cruisers.
Tour douhle-turretcd monitors and one
harber defense ram, total Of Y armorcd
vessels. with a displacement of SI5i7 tons
IN addition 10 these armored ships eight
cruisers and three gW4boats VIII have re-
ceiNed their first commission making q
grand total OF . vessels. with an aggregate
displacement or l1S.lS4 tons During the
year eight vessels have been finished and
accepted
More Vessels Rclng Bunt.
The report Shows q vessels. including
seven torpedo boats and one steam tug,
under construction. The tug is 10 be COM
pleted this month. and Il others are to be
finished during 1877 There are - vessels
IL commission, with Total tonnage OF
I17,o59 tons. June " there were Sl65 enlist
ed men ana l,3'N apprentices in the navy.
OF the enlisted ulen a. per cent. are citizens,
American born The secretary urges an
appropriation TO enable the department .
convert boats 10 the merchant marine int
war vessels IN case of need.
Praise Tor Naval Militia.
Considerable space IS siven TO a favorable
report On the naval militia. which has 1888
members in 10 states. Naval officers agree
that the naval militia viii be "a powerful
adjunct for coast defense in case Of war.
an extensive system OF blltzatiOn and
defense has been prepared ana VIII be com
nldnlcateu u Inc ulnltIa.
lie reports that the department expend-
ed. exclusive OF money for public works
for the year ended june 80. the sum Of
81. Coz. 625 a. The appropriations for the
current year are S5O,500,U00. and he esti-
mates the expenditures at S2g.3u, OoD The
grand total o. his estimates Tor 1888 foot Up
S42l5.9o0.
Nil. Herbert recommends the construc-
ZION Of three light-draft Battle ships and
says in relation therefor Battle ships
tnat could enter the harbors of Savannah
New brunswick, Key West, Tampa Pen
sacola, Mobile and the mouth of the Mis-
sissIppi at all times would have an i'm
mense advantage over the battle ships of
foreign nations, few, ii any, OF which
ships, II we had them, could make any of
these ports bases of supply, could sally
forth from them or retire into them at
Wi, and could therefore almost always
or battle on their own terms. There are
also many Of our ports farther north which
would give the same advantages to such
ships