Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-12-10
THE NAVY
Construction of Our Now Navy.

The work of the navy department and its
present conditions are fully exhibited In the
vessels for our new navy has been energetic
ally prosecuted by the present administration
upon the general lines previously adopted. the
department having seen no necessity for radi-
cal changes in prior methods under which the
work was found to be progressing in a manner
highly satisfactory; 1t has been DECIDED. how
tract that the builder should pay all trial ex-
peDses, and 1t has also been determined to pay
no speed premium In future contracts.
The premi ums recentlyearned and some yet
to be decided are features of the contracts
made before this conclusion was reached.
On March 4, 1893, there were In commission
but two armored vessels, the double turreted
monitors Miantonomoh and Monterey. Since
that Of vessels Heretofore authorized.
sion three irst-cfass and two second-class bat
tleships, two armored cruisers. one
turreted monitors. including the Maine
Eight new cruisers and two new
Iowa, another battleship. Will be completed
about March /, and at least four more gunboats
win be ready for sea in the early spring; L is
that can be manufactured elsewhere, and that
their cost as to justify the statement that
Quite a number OF vessels are now being con-
structed at rates as low as those that prevail
Our manufactarfing facilities are at this time
ample for all possible naval contingencies
Mare Island, Cal; Norfolk, Va. and Brooklyn,
N. Y, are equipped for ship-butldtng, our
ordnance plant IN W%ashinRton is equal TO any
successfully making the highest grades Of
smokeless powder. Three frst-class private
San Francisco. are building battle-ships;
eleven contractors, situated In the states Of
Maine, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania. New Jer-
sey, Maryland, Virginia and the state OF WASH
ington. are constructing gun or torpedo boats.
Two plants are notwithstanding large quantities
Of arss5elass arnaor ., s1a eA dnesGaas factories
projectiles, raptd-fre guns and everything
else necessary for the complete outit Of naval
g yssssls since rnf Mar naSe 1885, sssh fa se' Sastisshi IS o9 aix
LIGHT draft gunboats, is torpedo boats and one
submarine torpedo boat. Contracts for the
rotary expresses the opinion that We have, for
the present, a sufficient supply Of cruisers and
gunboats, and that hereafter the construction
OF battieshfps and torpedo boats Will supply
our needs
Departmental
Much attention has been given to the meth.
DDS OF carrying on departmental business. I'm
portant notifications In the regulations have
been made tending to unity the control OF Ship
building, as far as may be. under the bureau
Of construction and repair, ana also to improve
the mode. OF purchasing supplies for the navy
by the bureau of supplies and accounts. The
of o supply fund with which to purchase these
supplies in large quantities and other modfh-
cations of methods have tended materially TO
their cheapening and better quality.
The War College.
The war college has developed into an insti-
tuition which 1t is believed will be OF great
value to the navy, In teaching the science Of
war as well rs in stimulating professional zeal
In the navy, and 1t will be especially useful In
the d~evising Of plans for the utilization, In
case of necessity, of oil the naval resources or
the United States. The secretary has per-
sistently adhered to the plan he found in oper-
alton for securing labor at navy yards. through
boards of labor employment, and has done
much to make 1t more complete and ef1cienE
The naval officers who are familiar with ms
system and Its operation express the decided
opinion chat its results have been to vastly
improve the character OF the work done at our
yards and greatly reduce its cos. i,
Discipline In the Service.
Discipline among the officers and men OF the
and the percentage of American citizens en-
listed has been very much increased.
The secretary Is considering. and will fornu-
late during the coming winter, o plan for lay
ing the cost of maintaining our vessels atoat.
This plan contemplates that battleshlps,
not needed for active service at sea shall be
kept in reserve, with skeleton crews on board
to keep them in condition, cruising only
enough 20 insure the efiieiency OF the SHIPS
and their crews In time OF activity. The
economy to result from this system Is TOO
obvious TO need
The Naval Militia.
I The naval militia. which was authorized o
few years ago, as an experiment, has now de-
veloped into a body OF enterprising young
ness. Ibis establishment has nearly the same
relation to our navy as me a national ~, gaa ard " "
constitutes o source of supply for our naval
forces. the Importance of which is immediate
ly apparent