Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-04-16
INCREASE OF THE NAVY.
Two More Battleships and Twelve Tor
pedo Boats Recommended.

Secretary Herbert In his annual re-
port shows the pi ogress made during
the year In the construction OF govern
ment cruisers, and speaks In high
praise OF the workmanship on the new
navy. He also outlines the work un-
der contract and says.
Il do not deem II necessary now to
repeat the arguments 80 often made 10y
this department, and which apply now
with full force, In favor of still
further increase of the navy, A refer
ence To previous reports will show the
reasons upon which the recommends
tons then made were based aud that
congress has not yet authorized all the
ships then deemed necessary. An In
spection OF the relative strength Of
navies VIII furnish, II IL believed all
the argument now needed for the con
tinuution of the building program
heretofore indicated by the action Of
congress, We are not In want of ordi-
nary unnrmored cruisers or Of gun
boats, but we are lamentably deficient
III WI H''No- HbiNS, Uiu We 'tIlHINlN l''N
more battleships. An inspection of the
building programs of other nations will
demonstrate that the lessons taught ut
Yalu and Wei Hal have tended to con.
firm the belief of naval experts
throughout the world In the efficacy Of
these two classes OF vessels. | re.
spectfully recommend the construction
of two battlcships and ut least twelve
torpedo boats. The gratifying progress
made by our manufacturers Of steel
and our shipbuildcrs and the compcti
ton among them has enabled the de-
partment during the last two years to
contract for gunbonts and torpedo
boats at a very large reduction from
former prices. The price per ton 'or
the gunhoats Machias and Castinc,
contracted for In April, 1890, was
$So2,S6, tho average price Of the three
gunhoats contracted for in January
1894, and of the six others Just let out
to contract Is S2223i per ton. saving
of $S052 per ton, OF &c per cent. OF the
price of the ships The price of the
Ericsson, contracted for In October.
1891, was $9i5S3 per ton. The average
price of the six torpedo boats con
tracted for In 1895 is $76G5S per ton n
reduction Of Sl79.25 per ton. or Of about
20 per cent, in the price of the boats.
These prices conn are very lavorably
with the prices for similar work done
abroad"
Secretary Herbert doyotcs consider
able space to consideration of armor
plates. ordinances, projcctilcs. submarine
boats, automobile torpedoes, etc. and
to improvements In the business
methods Of the department. Mr.. Her
bert gives tho following figures as 10
navies of foreign powers
Great Britain, MS usual, Is leading,
both in the number and strength of
ships in service and In building pro
gram, with PA ships In service. not in
GLIDING torpedo boats; she has forty.
two vessels now under construction. OF
which ten are battlcships 1t will be
observed that, In accordance with Eng
lands policy of placing her first line OF
defense at the cnemy's coast, no
coast-defense vessels are building for
that country The displacement of the
tirst-cass battleship in her present pro
gram Is 1890 tons; that of The second
class 1880
France, with tA4 effective vessels in
service, exclusive Of torpedo boats, has
building program calling for m in
crease of SO vessels, of which 5 lpossi-
bly, g. are battleships and are ar
mored cruisers.
Russia has Is ships building, o'
which Is are armored; in service. 100.
Italy has In service IL the number
building is: Armored s &c battleshipsl
and unarmored, Z