Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-12-04
OUR NAVY'S NEEDS.
One More Ship DRY
Docks First Requisite.
Secretary Longs First Annual Mes.
sage Rich in Suggestion.

WASHINGTON, d. G., Dec. 2--John d.
Long. secretary of the navy. has Just issued
his first annual report. Secretary Long. be-
fore he has completed 10 months service In
the cabinet. has come 10 be regarded us by
far the ablest mt mber OF 1t, and his counsel
on any subject is highly valued by the presi-
dent and his colleagues, senators and repre-
senta,ivcs. As secretary of the navy Gor.l Long
is as successful in the administration OF the
technical and varied affairs Of his depart
ment Is lie is in the larger duties OF n
cabinet officer. He has already gotten Il
good grasp OF the work Of the different
bureaus, squadrons and stations, and carried
Oh the business OF his Office with en- e. in
spite of its labors and difficulties. The old
est officers do not recall n secretary of the
navy who performed his duties SO easily and
effectively. They all recognize that he
is secretary in every sense. and that no
one el-e is running the department.
and yet they all unite in praisiny his
characteristic courtesy and modesty.
Secretary Longs relations with As
sistant Secretary Roosevelt are mutually
satisfactory in an eminent degree. and the
assistant secretary is the secretary's right
hand man, helping and not hinderng him,
In utter combination Of the malicious predic-
tons which were made at the time MIR.
Roosevelt was appointed.
Secretary Long report, which ia the most
com preHeISlNt III ScoPc anu tie iiosp III
pOrtant in its recommendations ever issued
from the navy department, and which is.
OF course, addressed to the president. con-
tains the following, among many other
statements n a99 recAwsEm4fhEgaf418Ffe c me
| the navy consists of four battleships of
the ilrst class. two battleships OF the
second class. two armored cruisers, ~
! cruisers, Is gunboats, six double-turreted
monitors, one ram, one dynamite gnnboat,
one dispatch boat one transport steamer
and i've torpedo bouts. There are under
| construction FIVE batteships of the first
/ class, IG torpedo boats and one submarine
boat There are GA other naval vessels, in.
Guiding those used in training. receiving az
/ naval-reserve ships. tugs, disused Single
| turreted monitors and some unserviceable
craft There il. further, the auxiliary fleet.
| This consists, first, of more than twenty
subsidized steamers. While our ships are
not rs 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 de-
fensiye qualities, the equal OF vessels built
anywhere else In the world.
Commenting on the strength and cost oil
the navies Of other nations Secretary Long
saws: sit appears from the report of the
bureau of yards and docks that today the
most urgent need ofthc naval service Is an i'll
crease of docking facilities. There are seven
strategic divisions of our coasts. First, from
the bay of Fundy to Cape Cod; second, from
Cape Cod to Sandy Hook; third, from Sandy
Hook to Cape Henry; fourth, from Cape
Henry to Cape Sable; fifth, the coast line
bordering on the gulf of Mexico; sixth, the
southern portion of the Pacific coast, and
seventh, the northern portion. There should