The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-05-07
NAVAL PROGRESS ABROAD,
The Great Powers Are All Planning
New Warships.

NOU
Some Account of the Vessels Under Con-
struction.
Washington, May 2.-Reports on the
naval development of all the leading
Powers of the world have been received
recently by the Secretary of the Navy
under instructions to naval representa-
tives and legations abroad. They indi-
cate decided forward policy with all the
great Powers, and there seems to be no
purpose to reduce the expenses. While
no comparisons between the naval
strength of the United States and Of the
European countries have been made, it is
apparent from the reports that Germany
is little, If any, ahead of the United
States in the size or powers of her fleets.
Italy and Russia continue to outrank the
United States, but with the battleships
now building at the Cramps, Newport
News and San Francisco, Russia will
soon lose the lead. France and Great
Britain continue to expend millions of
dollars annually in new construction.
while the other Powers, with the excep-
ton of Italy, are also making strides in
the same direction. The South Ameri-
can republics are spending money on
their navies as fast as their depleted
treasures will permit, while China ex-
presses determination to make ready to
redeem the defeat of the Yalu The ten
dency among all nations, says the cor
respondent of the New York Sun, is
shown to be toward reduced calibre of
guns, whereas the United States are still
maintaining that 13-inch guns are the
best for the heaviest battleships Wire
wound guns are displacing the built-up
type, especially in England, and the
rapid lire batteries on all ships building
are to be increased greatly over those car
ried by ships of similar class in service.
Speed is yet deemed, the reports state to
be an important factor, not only in the
torpedo class, but also in the battle ship
type, and some of the trials lately made
abroad indicate that it is not impossible
for the heaviest of battleships to main
tain for two hours speed of nearly IS
knots an hour. This three years ago was
not thought possible, and heretofore few
if any, battleships have ever got beyond
the 17knot limit Heavy military masts
carrying rapid-fire guns have been found
in many instances to be serious draw
back to the stability of vessels and have
caused dangerous rolling and topheavi-
ness. Those on several of the French
ships, notably the Jean Bart, are to be
removed and pole masts substituted.
Sail power, the reports state, is no longer
considered as means of propulsion for
warships. Not even small cruisers are
now supplied with it.
The programmes completed this spring
for carrying on construction work are in
most cases equal to, if not larger than,
those of preceding years. Two budgets
for 1897 have been presented to the
French National Assembly by the Minis
ter of Marine, the second after the with
drawal Of the first The total sum asked
for to continue the work of new construc-
ton is $40, 500, SIS, which is smaller than
the amount voted for any year since 1892;
but at the same time it is stated by the
reports that powerful, well organized
| navy has never been more necessary to
| France than now. A comparison is made
of the fleets of Frances possible enemies
| in the Mediterranean and North seas, and
| her own Mediterranean and northern
| fleets which are shown to be SO separated
geographically as to be out of supporting
distance of each other, at least during the
early stages of the war. In these compar-
| isons the French fleets do not show up
| very we'll. Tables showing the total
tonnage under construction by the prin-
ipal European nations on Oct. last give
the Triple Alliance $50, 900 tons, while
France has but $780, 900, Russia lis, OOC
tons, and England 1876, 900, and 1t is
stated that these comparisons suffice to
demonstrate that France has not the fleet
that her policy requires or one which
would permit her to sustain with advan-
| tage contest with the Triple Alliance or
! facilitate the regulation of difficulties
! that might be engendered between Eng
land and France.
| Summarizing Frances naval policy it
| is contended now that her ships must be
| fast, but with speeds, ALSO that survive
trials and can be counted upon in service,
and that she must have ships with large
radii Of action. Frances new construc-
| ton will embrace many large ships of
the battleship class and all Of powerful
armament and armor One of them is the
Henry ~, of the modified monitor type,
354 feet long, " feet beam and % feet
draught, with II, 500 horsepower, and
an estimated speed of II knots. She will
be armed with the latest type of heavy
guns for ships of her class, besides torpe-
DO tubes and formidable secondary bat
terry. The battleship Gaulois of IL, 26O
tons, and sister to the Charlemagne and
St. Louis, is under construction, and
will be completed in IS months. Three
| cruisers of q modified Descartes type and
| three smaller ships are also included in
the new programme, besides half dozen
torpedo boats of the Destroyer type.
Germany's programme for new con-
struction is less elaborate than last year,
Notwithstanding the urgent efforts of the
Emperor to advance the importance and
extent of his naval establishment Ap-
populations will be granted for one bat
tleship, four second-class cruisers one
torpedo division boat and eight torpedo
boats Aside from these Germany will