The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-11-30
TIE AMERICAN NAVY.

| Everything considered, the American
navy is a pretty respectable affair, as
the seas and oceans go, after all. The
| Atlantic state newspapers are always
belittling the navy. hoping thereby to
stir up congress TO greater appropria-
| tons, but considering our age as a
country, and that we have no scattered
dependencies, the United States navy is
rather formidable affair. 1t is first
class as far as it goes, and it goes q
good ways as any one must be con-
annual report, Just made public. The
American people, generally speaking,
know very little about their army and
navy. Here and there over the country
a handful of troops stands for the army
and residents OF coast cities occasionally
see a warship and are reminded that
the nation has a navy. But the great
bulk of the population in time of peace
have little personal knowledge of or ac-
quaintance with the army or the navy.
Secretary Long reports that the pres
ent effective fighting force of the navy
consists of four battleships of the first
class, two battleships of the second class
two armored cruisers, sixteen cruisers,
fifteen gunboats, six double turreted
monitors, one ram, one dynamite gun
boat, one transport steamer, one dis
patch boat and five torpedo boats. There
are under construction five battleships
of the first class, sixteen torpedo boats
and one submarine boat. That is not a
very large force as compared with the
navieS Of some other nations. But it is
a great advance over the past and repre-
sents in fact a new navy, practically
built during the last twelve years. Sec
rotary Long makes this gratifying state
ment about the present navy: "While
these ships are not as maryland it is
not necessary they should be-as those
Of some other great powers, they are,
class for class, in power, speed, work
manship and offensive and defensive
qualities, the equal Of vessels built any
where else in the world" In other
words, Uncle Sans boats are equal to
the best, and there is no doubt that if
occasion required they would give a
good account of themselves in any con-
test.
Secretary Long gives some informa-
ton as 10 the progress of naval con-
struction abroad. England leads. Her
naval appropriations for the construc-
year amount to S26,500,O00. England |
Is building this year more battleships
than in all the American navy; more |
cruisers than all the cruisers in the |
American navy, and several other war |
vessels besides, making total of III |
vessels under construction during the |
present year. France comes next That |
nation will have under construction |
during the current year total Of sixty |
nine vessels, including seven battleships |
and eighteen cruisers. Japan comes |
next, leading Russia, Italy, Germany |
and Spain. That nation now has under |
in Europe and the United |
States four battleships, ten cruisers,
nine torpedo boat destroyers and thir-
.een torpedo boats. Three of these bat
-leships viii have a displacement of
IA, 500 tons each, and if Japan contin-
les at the pace 1t is now travelling it
will within a few years stand next to
France and England among the naval
powers. She already ranks next to
hem in the extent of her naval build
ng. Secretary Long says that by the
year 1902 Japan will be the strongest
naval power in the Pacific Ocean. Ger
many will expend during the present
-ear for vessels under construction
;9,OO0,0OO; Russia, S7,66S,277; Italy,
100000. In comparison with the
eading European nations the United
States navy seems quite small but 1t is
lrst class so far as ii goes