The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1897-12-02
FACTS ABOUT THE NAVY.
Secretary Long Gives to the Pub1i
His Annual Report.

His Annual Report.
Secretary of the Navy Long, in his re-
port to the President, declares that the
prime need of the naval service is not new
Ships but new docks, wharves, munitions,
men and facilities He says in part:
Hitherto for more than a decade the
increase of the navy has very properly
been in the line of new ships, and wisely
so, as this has hitherto been the vital
need. In the opinion of the department
the time has now come when that increase
should be ON adjunctory lines in order to
bring our naval facilities up to the same
line of advance. The principal need of
to-day is that of sufficient docks, of which
there is deplorable lack; of adequate
supplies of the munitions of war,, which
should never be at the hand-to-mouth
stage; Of an equipment of our navy yards
equal to the demand upon them of the in
creased number of our ships, and of an
enlarged corps of officers and men to do
the work.
Additions to our feet may be hereafter
necessary to bring it in case Of an emer-
gency to an extent commensurate with
the growing necessities of the country, es-
pecially in view of the development of
Alaska, which is a continent in itself, and
Of the possible annexation Of islands in
the Pacific. On the other hand, it is
mistake not to recognize that our naval
power has more than doubled within the
last few years; that the case of any emer-
gency beyond our present resources is the
very rare case; that until it comes ships
will be gradually taken out of commission
and put into reserve in order to reduce
running expenses, and that due regard
is necessary to the relation of the national
expenditures to the national revenues.
The department therefore recommends
that the authorization of new ships by the
coming Congress be limited to one battle
ship for the Pacific coast, where, after the
five now under construction are complet-
ed, there will be only two, while on the
Atlantic coast there will be seven; and
also to a few torpedo boats and torpedo
boat destroyers, both of which are COM
paratively Of little cost, and more of which
are desirable In order to bring this swift,
mobile and handily effective arm Of the
service up to its place in the general
scheme for coast defense.
'"The present effective fighting force of
the navy consists Of four battleships of
the first class, two battleships of the Sec
Ond class, two armored cruisers, sixteen
cruisers, fifteen gunboats, six double tur-
reted monitors, one ram, one dynamite
gunboat, one dispatch boat, one transport
steamer and five torpedo boats. There
are under construction i've battleships of
the first class, sixteen torpedo boats and
one submarine boat. There are sixty-four
other naval vessels, including those used
as training, receiving and naval-reserve
ships, tugs, disused single turreted moni-
tors and some unserviceable craft.
There is, further, the auxiliary fleet.
This consists, first, of more than twenty
subsidized steamers which comply with
the requirements Of the postal act of
March 3, 1891, with regard to their adap-
liability to naval service, and to an arma-
ment of main and secondary batteries;
second, of very much greater number Of
large merchant marine steamers, which
can be availed of at any time of need.
These auxiliaries, ranging from 1000 to
$4,000 tons, will, if occasion require, form
powerful fleet of ocean cruisers, capable
of swift and formidable attack upon an
enemy's commerce Their great coal ca
pduls Will dISO SudDIS lEtUl 10 IS1Ildln q
long time at sea in search of the where
abouts of hostile vessels.
1.-The country is to be congratulated up
on the results obtained in the rebuilding
of the navy. While it's 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,
workmanship and offensive and defensive
qualities the equal of vessels built any
where else in the world"
The Secretary recommends that naval
officers who were discharged under the
act Of 1882 be restored to the service after
examinations, and that the complement
Of enlisted men be largely increased to
man the new ships.
The departmental appropriation was
Sic, 1884, Psi, Of which 1927 ,4O7 remains
as balance.
Tho 70 Ropl- nf Hnlcfn;,, c,,,o1l