The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-25

The House committee on naval affairs
will submit in the naval appropriation bill
a proposition looking 10 the appropria-
ton OF Ss8opooo to ss5ooo.co0 to be expended
ar once In the building OF battleships and
torpedo boats That sum is about double
the amount Appropriated for naval ex-
tension hy any previous congress. The
committees proposition is that four bat
tleships OF Hoo tons displacement. FIVE
torpedo boats OF twenty-seven knots speed
and ten torpedo boats Of twenty knots
speed. shall be added TO the feet just as
soon a. possible. The battleships are 10
cost not more than S3.S75.00 each. and the
torpedo boats an average Of a little more
than SSao.ooo each. The great ships are 20
be Of the class and fighting qualities OF the
new Kearsarge. and the equals If not the
Supporters Of any craft of their class afioat.
The torpedo boats are 10 be torpedo
catchcrs' as well as torpedo dischargers.
and the prices fixed upon them make it
certain tina; they viii be as fine and for
midable as such craft can be made. The
number OF torpedo boats proposed to be
ficien1y large to put the United States
navy much ahead of some Of the second
class naval powers of Europe in the matter
of torpedo fleets.
It is apparent that congress has reached
the conclusion that this country is not
isolated to the extent many persons and
politicians have hitherto claimed it to be-
Events of recent occurrence have shown
that war with foreign power is not an
impossibirty. The agitation of the Mon
roe doctrine has drawn attention to the
cOuntrys unprepared condition to enforce
that doctrine. and even congressman from
the interior. where the naval and coast
defense establishments have never had
many friends. are now ready and willing
to vote appropriations for national de-
lenses The demands for American naval
vessels that have lately come from the
Mediterranean. from China, and Japan,
and Hawaii. and Cuba. and South and
Central America. have shown that the
navy is not large enough. When ships
are sent away to protect American inter
ests in foreign countries. the home sta
tons arc left with inadequate protection.
It should be remembered that the dem
Ocrauc members of the House naval az
fairs committee contended that the pend
ing bill should contain items for six bat
tleships and twenty torpedo boats. and
that the items were scaled down by the
republicans. under the direction of Speak
er Reed Mr. Reed wants TO hold the an
preparations down, so that he may claim
to have been at the head Of an economi-
cal congress, and use that claim in his
candidacy for the white house. The re-
publicans are the great jingoes, both in
and out of congress. But when it comes to
preparing for business in the way of war,
they are found lacking. 1t was demo-
cratic administration that built the neu-
fcleus of the new navy. Under Grover
cleveland land William c. Whitney the
United States navy. for the first time since
the war of secession, became formidable
The naval establishment up to the time
of that administration had been more
fruitful of jobs and scandals than of any
thing else. Cleveland and Whitney set
up an American naval policy, which, hav-
ing been followed since. has given the
United States a navy to be proud Of Con-
gress will at this session, or at the short
session. make authorizations along the
line of that policy which will still further
raise the United States in the scale of the
powers OF the world.