The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1897-12-01
OUR NAVY.
Extracts from the Annual Report of
Secretary Long.

Washington, Nov. 27.-Following are
extracts from the annual report of
Hon. John D. Long, secretary of the
navy:
''The present effective fighting force of
the navy consists of four battle ships of
the first class. two battle ships of the Sec
ond class, two armored cruisers, 16 cruis-
ers. Is gcnboats. six double-turreted mon
itors. one ram, one dynamite gunboat. one
dispatch boat. one transport steamer and
five torpedo boats. There are under con-
struction five battle ships Of the first-class,
i6 torpedo boats and one submarine boat.
There are Ga other naval vessels. including
those used as training. receiving and naval
reserve ships, tugs. disused Single-tur-
reted monitors and some unserviceable
craft. There is, further, the auxiliary
fleet This consists, first. of more than 20
subsidized steamers which comply with
the requirements of the postal act of March
g. 1891, with regard to their adaptability to
naval service, and to an armament of main
and secondary batteries: second, of very
much greater number of large merchant
marine steamers, which can be awaited of
at any time of need.
1.-THE country is to be congratulated upon
the results obtained In the rebuilding of
the navy. While its ships are not as many
and 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 quail.
tiles the equal of vessels built anywhere
else in the world
Attention is invited to the recommends
ton of the chief of the bureau of naviga-
ton for the construction of a stern-wheei
boat of light draft for patrol service on the
Yukon river. 1t would essentially aid in
securing proper observance of the law In
Alaska The appropriation necessary for
this purpose Is estimated at SO, 900, and as
much more for the esta blishment of three
small posts at different points on the river
and for providing proper outfit for the Of
dcers and men.
1.-The efforts of the department to Amer
icanize the enlisted force of the navy have
been steadily pursued, and with this end
in view temporary enlisting stations were
established during the past summer In
number of lake cities and a number of ex-
cellent men enlisted. The department IN
tends to repeat this action In the southern
states, believing that similar enlistments
can be secured on the gulf coast. The rec
ords of the bureau show that of the 2S45
petty officers IN general service June 30,
1887, 4S per cent, were native born and So per
cent. were citizens of the United States:
and of the $50 other men in general serv-
ice SIS per cent. were native born and 70
per cent. were citizens of the United States
THE department has paid much attention
to the development OF the naval militia.
The appropriation of $4,000 for this pur-
pose, after deducting $1,000 for books Of in
struction, was allotted among Is states
Massachusetts,, Rhode Island Connecticut,
New York. New Jersey, Pennsylvania.
Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, Louisiana, California, Illinois,
Michigan and Ohio. The state of Ohio or
ganized a naval militia during the past
year, and was included for the first time
In the naval allotment. Illinois has mus
tered in four divisions and will share in
the next allotment. Virginia has organized
one division, but it has not yet been formal
ly mustered in. This makes a total at the
present time of IL states having naval
militia organizations. During the past
summer the assistant secretary of the navy
personally visited and inspected the naval
militia of Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and New
York in their annual encampments, and
in his report to the department states that
he was greatly pleased with the zeal and eff
ficiency shown by the different organiza-
tons. The different battalions all had a
tour of duty on board the vessels Of the
navy during the past summer except those
OF North Carolina and South Carolina.
"Our remoteness from foreign powers,
the genius of our institutions and the de-
votion of our people to education, COM
merce and industry, rather than to any
policy that involves military entangle-
ments, make war to be thought of only as
last resort in defense OF our rights, and
our military and naval establishments as
police force in the preservation of order
and never for aggression. While all this
Is, therefore, an earnest of peace as the
normal condition of our national life there
IS no question of the necessity, the wis
dom and the economy, to the same end, OF
an effective navy, in view of the vast ex-
tent of our coast and the possibility of
attack from the sea upon our great cities,
where the concentration Of population and
property Is enormous
The principal need of to-day is that of
sufficient docks, of which there is a de-
plorable lack; of adequate supplies of the
munitions of war which should never be
at the hand-to-mouth stage: of an equip
ment Of our navy yards equal to the de-
mand upon them of the increased number
of our ships, and of an enlarged corps Of of
ficers and men to do the work.
The department recommends that the
authorization of new ships by the COM
ing congress be limited to one battle ship
for the Pacific coast, where, after the five
now under construction are completed,
there will be only two, while on the At
lantic there will be seven; and also to few
torpedo boats and torpedo boat destroyers
both Of which are comparatively of little
cost, and more of which are desirable in
order to bring this swift, mobile and handf-
~ effective arm of the service up to its
place in the general scheme for coast de-
tense.
According tc the reports of the paymas-
ter-general the total cost of maintaining
the navy during the fiscal year ended June
80, 1896, exclusive of its increase and of per-
manent improvements at yards and sta
tons specially appropriated for, was s15,-
49,, 5000, and for the fiscal year ended
June 30. 1887. 81. 514 231-13. 1t appears there
fore, that the expense of maintaining the
navy Is growing one, as distinguished
from its increase and permanent improve
ments. the cost of which varies from year
to year according to the judgment Of con-
gress as to the desirability Of these latter
items. Attention is called to this fact be-
cause the country should be under no mis-
apprehension as to the increasing cost of
maintenance. The building of ship Is
definite fixed expense, incurred once for ALL
But to maintain it, to provide it with docks,
naval stations and other necessary IA
cilities. to man and equip it, to keep 1t in
repair-in short, to run the naval estab-
Eshment-is and must continue to be a
large charge on the public treasury. and,
for a time, certainly, an increasing one