Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-03

parent that she was in need of one If she
hoped longer to preserve her autonomy.
Accordingly naval policy was inaugu-
rated, the essential feature being, first, the
protection of the home coast, and, second
the protection of her colonial possessions.
The home coast is 1870 miles long, bald
mountainous and difficult OF attack. The
principal ports are Ferrol, ,Cartagena, Cadiz
and Barcelona, all naval depots and all
more or les protected by fortifications, but
not powerfully. The colonies are the Ca
nary islands and Fernando Po in the East
ern Atlantic ocean; the Palawan, Philip
pine, Ladrone and Caroline islands in the
Pacific ocean, and Cuba and Porto Rico in
the West Indies.
In order to protect her flag and to demon
strate TO the world her ability to do so,
Spain published a few years back the fol-
lowing decree of the force she considered
necessary to be kept on duty at home and
abroad: For the peninsula and the ad-
jacent islands II ships. 20 gunboats and co
torpedo boats of various sizes. To man
this home fleet it was estimated that 400
sailors were needed and $500 marines. For
the South American station one cruiser
was thought TO be sufficient with lis men
and 2S marines. For the west coast of
Africa 1 cruiser, 2 gunboats and about 200
men, and for the protection of the Caroline
and the adjacent islands cruisers. i gun
boats. torpedo boats and 5000 sailors and
marines. For Cuba and Porto Rico ten
years ago 1t was suspected by Spain that
TO safeguard her interests 4 cruisers, IA
gunboats and torpedo boats, with total
complement of 400 men and 200 marines,
would be ample.
It cannot be denied that in rehabiitating
her navy along the lines proposed Spain
has succeeded in securing some ships that
are as good as are to be found afloat any
where else in the world. The one battle
ship she possesses is the well known Pc
layo. of 1000 TONS built ten years ago in
France.
The BattIeshfp PeIRyo.
The ship is formidable both in attack and
in defense. For the former she has a pow
erful ram and a battery consisting of two
12.5-inch modern high power rifles mounted
in barbettes-one forward. the other aft
of nineteen inches of steel; two H-inct
rifles in armored sponsons; one 6-lnch rife
in her bows, and twelve 47-inch rapid fire
guns in broadside. Besides these guns ot
the main battery there are dozen smaller
constituting her secondary battery, anC
there are six torpedo tubes.
The defensive powers of the Pelayo are
also excellent. She is provided with stee
water-line belt, varying in thickness from
eighteen inches in the wake of the machin
cry and boilers tapering in thickness to
twelve inches at the bow and stern. HeI
speed to-day is about sixteen knots.
During the past year this battleship ha.
had her boilers generally repaired and re,
tubed at the Ferrol navy yard and is ready
for active service. The condition of tn,
vessel is excellent, the only defects beInl
due 10 faulty design in certain particular
viz. insufficient protection for the foul
7-inch guns. lack of subdivision of tn,
space over the protective deck and tht
small coal supply. only 600 tons.
Battleships are built with the object 81
view of lightning hostile battleships OF
the high seas, and, therefore, the highes
talents OF constructors and designers ar
called into requisition TO make the type a
nearly impregnable as possible. But a
the many different classes of battleshi
show, there is a wide divergence of opinion
as to the best way 10 Insure this superior
ity. Size OF gun. emplacement, armor dis
tribution. speed and coal supply are som
of the points In controversy, and until bat
tleshlD meets battleship 10 fight to tn