The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-27
ANNUAL REPORT SENT IN.
SOME INTERESTING FIGURES RE-
GARDING NAVAL CONSTRUCTION
ABROAD ARE INCLUDED,
PRESENT SEA FIGHTING FORCE
Ample, in the View of the Head OF
the Department, for All Prob
able Needs.


ing the present power of the United
States at sea, Secretary Long says:
The present effective fighting force of the
navy consists of four battleships of the first
class two battleships of the second class,
two armored cruisers, sixteen cruisers fifteen
gunboats, six double-turreted monitors one
ram, one dynamite gunboat, one dispatch
boat one transport steamer and five torpedo
boats. There are under construction five bat
tleships 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 monitors
and some unServiceabie craft There is, fur
Their, the auxiliary fleet This consists, first
of more than twenty subsidized steamers
which comply with the requirements of the
postal act of March 8. 1891, with regard to
their adaptability to naval service, and to an
armament of main and secondary batteries;
second, of a 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 u, 600 tons,
will if occasion require, form powerful
fleet of ocean cruisers, capable of swift and
formidable attack upon an enemys COM
merce. Their great coal capacity will also
enable them to remain a long time at sea in
search OF the whereabouts of hostile vessels.
Since the last report there have been
added to the navy the Oregon, sea-gO-
ing battleship; the Brooklyn, armored
cruiser; Iowa, sea going battleship;
seven gun boats and two torpedo boats.
There are now building five battle
ships of the firSt-class-the Kearsarge,
kentucky, Illinois, Alabama and Wis
consin-one gun boat and sixteen tor
pedo boats The vessels under con-
struction should be completed during
the coming year, except the five battle
ships which will probably not be ready
for service before the latter part of
1899. OF the latter the Kearsarge and
Kentucky are nearly half completed.
About three-quarters of their armor
has been delivered, a part of which has
been secured in place on the ships.
The other three, the Alabama, Illinois
and Wisconsin. Were begun subsequent
to the last annual report. With the eX-
ception of a small amount of diagonal
easement armor, which the ship con-
tractors have agreed to furnish at the
price fixed by law, it will be necessary
to preliminarily accept them without
armor. in accordance with the terms of
the contract for their construction.
Regarding naval progress abroad the
secretary says:
abroad is that of the Japanese government
She already ranks next to England and France
in the extent of her naval building She
had added during the past year 10 her fleet
two irst-class battleships built in England
and her programme for the future will rem
der her by the year 1902 the strongest naval
power III the racine ocean.
The English naval programme for
the year 1898 calls for the expen7
diture of SIC, 100000. Including new
work she will have under construction
during the year, 10 battleships, II first
class cruisers, 10 second and third-class
cruisers and some sixty other vessels.
France, spending $16,000,OOO, will have
under construction during the year
battleships, IA cruisers and 30 vessels
Of OIL o1a
leading Russia and Germany, with
battleships, 10 cruisers and a number
of torpedo boats and torpedo boat
destroyers. Germany is expanding
SO, 100000; Russia, $7,66S,277, and Italy,
$j,O00,OOO. Spain during the year has
purchased 4 cruisers, gun boats and
torpedo boat destroyers and is build
ing battleships, cruisers. gun
boats and torpedo boats.
Speaking of the cost of ammunition
the secretary gives the following inter
esting figures: The cost of materials
for complete supply of ammunition
to once refill all the vessels of the
navy including the five unfinished bat
tie ships, would be $6,521, 9S5; not in
Guiding them, s1,S36, 4S2 less. The cost
of ammunition for one battleship of
the Kearsarge class is $3S9,197.
Regarding the naval militia the re-
port says:
The department has paid much attention
TO the development of the naval MALTA. The
deducting $4,000 for books of instruction, was
allotted among fifteen states: Massachusetts,,
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, MARYLAND, North Caro-
lima South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Cali
fornia. Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. The
state of Oregon organized naval militia dur
ing the past year. and was included Tor the
first time in the naval allotment. Illinois has
mustered in four divisions and will share in
the next allotment Virginia has organized
division, but it has not yet been formally
mustered in. This makes a total at the
present time of seventeen states having naval
militia organizations.
The estimates submitted for the year
1899 call for $30673, 900. OF this, $3.50,
473 is for construction, and s4,254,SOO for
ordnance. For the year 1898 the esti-
mates were $34,215, 1863. and the total
appropriation, 1874 113, pa.
In concluding his report the secre-
tary says:
Our remoteness from foreign powers. the
genius of our institutions, and the devotion
of our people to education, commerce. and
industry, rather than to any policy that IN
wolves military entanglements, make war to
be thought of only as last resort in de-
tense of our rights and out military and
naval establishments as police force Tor
the preservation Of order and never for ag-
gression. While all this is, therefore, an
earnest of peace the normal condition of
our national life, there is no question of the
necessity the wisdom, and the economy, to
the same end of an affective navy, in view
of the vast extent of our coast and the pos
sibility of attack from the sea upon our great
cities, where the concentration of population
and property is enormous.
Hitherto for more than a decade the in
crease Of the navy has very properly been in
the line of new ships. and wisely SO, this
has hitherto been the vital need. In the
opinion Of the department, the time has now
come when that increase should be on ad-
junctory lines in order to bring our naval
facilities up to the same line Of advance
AS heretofore indicated the principal need
today is that of sufficient docks, of which
there is a deplorable lack; of adequate sup
plies 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 increased number
of our ships and on an enlarged corps Of
officers and men to do the work.
The department therefore recommends that
the authorization of new ships by the COM
ing congress be limited to one battleship for
the Pacific coast, where. after the five now
under construction are completed there will
be only two while on the Atlantic there will
be seven; and also to a few torpedo boats and
torpedo boat destroyeFs, both of which are
comparatively 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