The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-04-01

q
between
The British Navy.
/ Look now at the last British report.
/ To their four hundred and odd vessels
nearly all actively efficient, including
/ 20 heavily armored ships and 10 cruisers
which may be called first class, Mr..
/ Goschen now wants to add highly i'm
1 proved battleships, 10 cruisers and %
"destroyers. - seagoing torpedo craft,
making the cost $12O, 900, 600 for this
year alone. And, as aforesaid, his bill
went through Almost unanimously with
q wild hilarious whOOp. Tt is the policy
Of England to keep her navy equal to
that Of any other two nations, and, while
one of the very earliest divisions be-
tween the Wings and Tories was on the
question whether the nation chief re.
lance should be placed on the army for
the navy, both parties are now a unit
for a great increase Of the navy. Ten
years ago the EndicOtt board reported
that $97, 1882, 600 should be expended on
coast defenses and that it would make
cur system complete, but only ST.. 0O0,
GOO has SO far been expended, and add
ing for improved guns the total should
now be set at over 500, 900, coo.
In the navy department / fell upon
one fact which pleased but surprised me
very much-namely, that both navy and
coast defensas would now cost much less
in proportion than in our early days,
when we We're SO proud Of both, and that
the cost of great battleships has declined
considerably even within six years. The
history is very curious and quite as in
structive. Immediately after the war
of 1912 5, in which our navy gained
immortal honors and our coasts suffered
badly, a general and for that time very
scientific system of coast Notifications
was adopted. Many of the forts then
built were Of value as late as 1865, but
any one Of them would be deathtrap
today. Between 1896, when general
work was fairly begun, and 1860 the
total cost would have been SO. 30 per
capita on the population Of 1880. Now
the greatest estimated cost Of COM
pleted system of coast defenses, the best
that any one asks fOr-namely, the sys-
tenn on which some beginning was made
ten years ag0-would be $126. goo, coo,
or but 50. 50 per capita Oh the same
census. On the small population Of 1880,
1910 and 1850 the cost per capita was
about three times what it would be to-
day. On our realized and funded wealth
the difference is, Of course, very much
greater.
TT War Should Come.
AS to the navy, the Indiana and Mas
sachusetts cost So, O2O, 600 each for hull
and machinery, exclusive of premiums,
and the Oregon $3.50. 600. I have Sc
lected for illustration one Of the very
first completed and the two now hasten
ing to completion Add the contract
price Of our first protected cruiser, the
Columbia, which was 81, 1925. 600 for
hull and machinery, and then that of
the Ericsson, and it brings the total of
the five away above SIP, 600, 600. It ap-
pears that on the basis of existing esti-
mates the reduction is something near
20 per cent. lit is not possible to figure
so closely on the reduced cost of the
forts, but Senator Squire's bill apprO-
PIRATES $40, 600. 600 for their needs down
to July j, 1897, which the experts con-
slider enough for ordinary progress. But
Generals Flagler and Craighiu make
estimates also for what they call stress
work, which makes the cost greater in
proportion to the work done, and few
mem bers Of the house viii try to have
the bill constructed on that line. If they
do, there VIII be a redhot fight, for, in
stead of the ordinary estimate of $4,
467, 600 for the rest of this year, the
emergency estimate is for 81 8, SOB, $50,
and for 1897 the raise is from SIP, 34O,-
coo to &28, 551, 80. Tt would be weari-
some to give the details about guns and
the establishment Of an American plant
for making them, but the amount of it
is that even If congress should give all
that is asked, both for gun plants and
emergency work on the Notifications,
we could not get really ready fer war
3 al =
binary rate of work it viii take at least
seven. Perhaps, therefore, we had bet
ter not whip England and Spain just
yet.
OF course many factors may be taken
into consideration in determining the
relative strength of navies, aud it is
easy to take more than one standard Of
comparison. An approximate idea. how
ever, may DO obtained by comparing the
aggregate tonnage of ships of different
navies and the number Of torpedo boats
Tonnage.
United States. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 252 134
United America. 81, 500
Spain l5l, "a
Great Britain /, l5l, 495
TORPEDO BOATS. INCLUDING DEsrRovERs.
Number.
United America .lOO
Spain. 40
Great Britain 243
Men of military age.
United America ...... 25 $50 86l
Great Britain, including Canada and
Australia. 9ego'5l4
J. Fl. BEADLE.
Legend of Dominos.
An italian legend gives the following
as the origin Of d0minos Two monks