The Saint Paul globe., 1896-12-08

at rates as low as those that prevail in
European shipyards.
@ Our manufacturing facilities are at this
time ample for all possible naval contin-
gencies. Three of our government naval
yards, those at Mare Island CAL, Norfolk.
va, ana Brooklyn, N. Y, are equipped for
snip building; our ordnance plant in Washing
ton is equal to any In the world, and at the
torpedo station we are successfully making
the the highest grades of smokeless powder.
Three hrst-class private ship yards at New
port News. Philadelphia and San francisco,
are building battleships eleven contractors
situated in the states OF Maine Rhode
Island, Pennsylvania New jersey. MARYLAND
Virginia and the state OF Washington are
constructing gunboats torpedo boats. Two
plants are manufacturing large quantities OF
ihrst class armor, and American factories are
producing automobile torpedo and powder pro-
Jectiles, rapid firing guns and everything
necessary for the complete outfit of naval
vessels.
NEW BATTLEsHIPs.
There have been authorized by congress
SINCE March. 1893, five batteships six light
draft gunboats sixteen torpedo boats and
one submarine 9 torpedo boat. Contracts for
the building of all of them have been LET
Ihe secretary expresses the opinion that we
nave for the present a sufficient supply Of
cruisers and gunboats and that hereafter the
construction of battleships and torpedo boats
Will supply our needs
Much attention has been given to the meth
oos OF carrying on departmental business
important notifications in the regulations
nave been made tending to unity the control
OF ship-building, as far may be under the
bureau or construction and repair, and also
to improve the mode of purchasing supplies
Tor the navy by the bureau of supplies and
accounts, the establishment, under recent
acts Of congress, of supply fund with which
TO purchase these supplies in large quantities
ana other notifications of methods have
tended materially to their cheapening and
better quality
The war college has developed into an in
stitution which it is believed will be of great
value to the navy in teaching the science of
war as well as in stimulating professional
zeal In the navy; and it will be especially
useful in the devising of plans for the utilf-
zat1on IN case of necessity, of all the naval
resources Of the United States.
/ The secretary has pers1stently adhered to
the plan he found in operation for securing
iapor iiapor at navy yards, through the board Of
laoor employment, and has done much to
make 1t more complete and efficient.
Ihe naval officers who are familiar with this
system and Its operation express the decided
OPINION that its results have been to vastly
yaros and greatly reduce its cost. Discipline
among the officers and men of the navy has
Deen maintained to high standard and the
percentage of American citizens enlisted has
been very much increased
Ihe secretary is considering, and will form
uiate during the coming winter, a plan for
laying up ships in reserve, thereby largely.
reducing the cost of maintaining our vessels
atoat This plan contemplates that battle
shlps, torpedo boats and such of the cruisers
as are not needed for active service at sea
snail be kept in reserve with skeleton crews
on board to keep them in condition, cruising
only enough to insure the efficiency of the
ships and their crews in time of activity. The
economy to result from this system is too
obvious to need comment. The naval militia
which was authorized a few years ago as an
experiment has now developed into a body of
enterprlsfng young men, active and energetic
IN the discharge of their duties and promising
great usefulness. This establishment has
nearly the same relation to our navy as the
National Guard in the different states bears
70 our army; and it constitutes a source Of
supply for our naval forces, the importance
of which is immediately annarnnt -