The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-07
THE NAVY GROWING
Annual Report of Secretary Her.
bert Unusually Interesting.
STRENGTH IN BIC BATTLEsIIlpS
beginning TO Tell-Iis't hrnor In the
Worid-ralno of tho Naval Militia In
Case OF in's'lon by II, Foreign Power.
The Secretary Fsiieita,ssths Country on
tho Work Accomplished.


WASHINGTON. d. c., Dec. G.-The
annual report OF Secretary Herbert, OF
the navy department, was made public
Yesterday. 1t ms ntty.slx octave
pages.
Secretary Herbert briefly reviews the
history OF the new navy since 1883,
pointing out that It's cruisers are OF a
high type, but that Its greatest need Is
ros bnttleships and torpedo boats. Since
March I, 1899. Congress has authorized
the building OF AyG bnttleshps, six
gunboats and one submarine torpedo
boat. Tho battleships are tho Kear-
sarge, Kentucky and Illinois, build
Ing ut Newport News; the Alabama,
building at Cramps, and the Wisconsin.
building at San Francisco. All OF these
arc to be finished within three years.
The six Gunhonts are to be completed
before March |, 1897. They include the
Newport and the VicksburS. launched
to-day at Bath.
During the present administration
there have been added to the navy The
iirst-class battleshIps Indiana, Massa-
chusctts and Oregon, the secUnd-class
battlcshlps Maine and Texas. the ar
morcd cruisers New York and Brook
lyn. eight cruisers. four monitors. one
nrmored ram and three Eunboats.
Zig Navy Keeps tho Peace.
The secretary gives n table OF tho
navics OF the great powers. showing
vessels and building, and says:
ut is clear that the great powers
with which We are brought into close
relationship largely exceed us. not only
in the numGer OF battleshIps and tOrpe-
do boats actually In commission, but In
their naval programmes for the future.
The work OF adding to their strength
In battleshps and torpedo boats goes
on steadily from year TO year. 1t Is not
contended that we should attempt 10
compete In numbers with che great
navIes of England and France, but we
ought surely TO move up steadily and
continually into u higher rank than
that We now occupy. and into the place
Of nations whose necessities are far
less than ours There nre now not
only in Europe. but In Asia, strong and
growing navies belonging 10 nations
with which we must always have the
most intimate and delicate relations,
and where our citizens are To be found
IN great numbers prosecuting their
legitimate businesses. Our obligations
and duties on this hemisphere are rec
ogniZed by the world, and cannot be
met unless We are Possessed OF naval
strength. II our merchant marine in
crease as 1t should and no doubt Will.
the present naval strength VIII be
very far from what 1t should be.
9iu,t Keep on building.
Nothing will so surely make for
peace and give US weight abroad and
security at home as 4 substantial navy
constructed OF the best. materials and
manned by the highest intelligence and
Skill
There arc now torty-two vessels in
commission. with n tonnage Of 1889
tons. There are serving In the navy
S,l65 enlisted men and ISIS appren-
tees. or the enlisted men seventy-twO
per cent are cItizens OF the United
States.
Same space Is devoted TO the. naval
militia, which the department seeks By
all means to foster. This militia now
numbers l.19i men. divided among
fourteen states. Massachusetts has the
greatest number, 439; California is Sec
oud, with AZ, and Pennsylvania Is
twelfth. with l32 The secretary says:
1T has often been questioned wheth-
er the class OF men who form the ma
jority OF the naval militia Is that
which would be needed TO reinforce The
navy and To mobilize an auxiliary feet
In case OF threatened INVASION"
He then expresses the opinion that
the militia is just the thing needed In
such a contingency. He says:
1.-The opinion OF the officers OF the
navy who have been officially connected
with them has. as appears from the
reports, made TO the department, grown
20 be almost unanimous that the naval
militia as AT present organized will
form n powerful adjunct to the local
defense OF the coast, thus relieving the
regular navy OF duties which would
greatly lessen Its power by dividing Its
force all OF which would be needed
elsewhere.
Value OF Naval Militia.
ITO more thoroughly instruct the
naval militia In the duties which will
be required OF them in case of mobil-
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