Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-05-09
Az ANrLNAU tRGunlSE

Az AN1LNANY ARGUMENT.
There has been n great deal Of ciiI.
cam Of the admins ration and Con.
qftia because " the failure q make
notable increases 10 our navy. Some
nut clsai additions have been made,
but tho claim IL set up anu strongly
urged that these are wholly inadequate
Tor the needs Of today ami almost
yaIuelrss In the face Of possible
emergencies Of trouble with olhot
pUwofg. While It Is quito CON.
mon for newspapers IN all parts oi
the Union TO "seoroh" government
Tor ils alleged tardinObs IN this
busiutes, there ate ssms iu1 Iunilai
Journals, representing oil shades Of
political Opiuion, who hold 10 the posi-.
ton that Congress is doing jutt right,
that an expensive navy would be u
wasio Of money 20 for az the neoessitlen
Tor defense Of this country are con.
ccrnoi, In view Of the fact that with
the resources Of the United States aud
the existing knowledge OF handling
explosives 1t would not be q difficult
matter for this country 10 defend ~
coasts against the combined navlts VI
the world.
one OF the journals that oppose n
powerful navy IL the Springfield Re.
publican, which insists that the new
torpedo boat 70 Nv effective a means Of
defense rs the coasts Of this country
require, and II can be built chcapiy
anu quickly. with regard to the Hol.
land torpedo boat, which government
officers have given strong endorsement
to, the Republican declares that "such
boat ought to 10 match for a whole
fleet Of BritIsh warahips Of New YorE
or Boston harbof;" and surely II ought
to be II the accounts given Of ito nc.
compliments arc correct.
This Holland boat 10 u sub.
marine craft Tor handling torpodous,
ana Its inventor has been twenty Yeas
Teriectlng IL. Az now constructed the
boat that has boon undergoing tosts,
and is soon TO have an efilcial govern.
ment trial, he olgaT.thaped vessel
eighty.four feet long, can speed fifteen
knots an hour on tho surface, fourteen
when partly submerged, leaving only
tho smokestack In sight, and eight
when completely submerged; she eau
dive soyenty-tiyo foat without bving
crushed by tho weight Of the water,
ana eau run eight knots an hour for
sixty miles when under the surface en-.
titely. When on the surface she uses
steam for propuIalou; when submerged,
electricity; ana when running al iull
speed above water she can dive from
sight within twenty seconds after the
giving Of orders. As n fighting una.
chine hhe Is a wonder, When awAth,
or with only the smokeslaok In sight,
It will DO very difficult to see her, and
when entirely submerged the nayigs.
tor can thrust up through tho little tur.
retR slender steel tube bearing a camera
luolda, by means Of which the move.
mentl Of IN enemy can DO closely FOL.
lowed. Her offensive armament con.
slsts Of i've Whitehead torpsdoes, whit h
can be fifed when she is submerged Al
well ~ on the surface. The craft car,
rlUs provisions for three daya' stay un.
der water and buoyaut rubber spits fOi
the crew to use In reaching the surface
In case the big machine goes WRONG
and has 10 bo abandoned down below.
This kind Of vessel would DO labOul
as strong an anti.nayy argument o. can
be adIucod; and n Uncle sam had a
few Of them available the armorud
cruisers Of foreign countries would
give his coasts q wide berth In time Of
trouble. Win submarine vessel. o.
easily and successfully operated ~ this
In claimed to be, the time does not seem
nr dislan, when an attack on foreign
f,ac5ast except with aeroplanes will be
out Of the question. IL certainly looks
rs though another turn IN the wheel Of
progress In maritime warfare 10 about
to be mate.