The sun., 1897-06-27
Organism Of 1897 differs from the Bryan
ism of 1895 only in being still fiercer
and moro communtstic.


The American Fleet
In these days OF inquiries as to what
naval forces we shall need for the protec-
tion Of Hawaii, an especial interest is lent
to the admirable description of our feet Of
to-day, given by Lieutenant Commander ].
d. JERRoLD KELLEY in Hdrpers Weekly.
Our feet, exclusive of torpedo boats, con-
ssts, according to this authority, Of 81
vessels, Of which 20 are still under con-
struction, with the remainder either in ser
vice or being prepared for sea. OF these
vessels 80 belong to the armored and 54 to
the unarmored classes while Of the former
IL are seagoing battleships, 20 are coast
defence vessels and two are armored cruis-
ers. Add the 10 torpedo boats, and we get
total of 108 modern vessels of all classes.
But in addition we have % ships older in
type and ~ tugs possessing battle quail
ties" so that our total is "140 serviceable
war vessels"
There are also various Government craft,
such as revenue cutters, lighthouse tenders,
and fishing and coast survey boats, with
some unserviceable vessels, so that, gen.
eralizing, Lieutenant-C Commander KELLEY
concludes that the Government "can put
afloat at very short notice 200 vessels, go
percent. Of which would be modern In char
acter." And even here we are not at the
limit of our resources. There are all the
merchant steamers, among them the fast
liners New York, Paris, st. Louis, and st.
Paul, already under subsidy. There would
probably be at least twoscore vessels that
could be selected for such service, and the
Government has prepared and is continuing
to prepare reserve batteries and their flt-
tings for such service. In addition, as SEQ
retary HERBERT pointed out in his last re-
port, we have many tugs, yachts, and other
vessels that could be fitted up as torpedo
boats or turned into gunboats, transports.
colliers, and repair ships, manned by those
who are accustomed to a seafarlng life in
the fishing fleets and coastwise and lake
trades.
1t will be seen, therefore, that although
we must keep up the work of naval con-
struction, We are by no means badly OF for
naval strength even to-day.
If we turn from the number to tho char
acter Of our vessels, there is also much to
crafty us. The tremendous 13.inch guns
of the battleships Indiana, Massachusetts,
Oregon, Kearsarge, Kentucky. Illinois,
Alabama, and Wisconsin are supplemented
by other powerful pieces in their main
batteries, while the Iowa carries 12.
inch guns. The splendid armor fur
nished for these nine f1rst-class battle
ships Is famous tho world over, and, TAX
ing together the elements both of attack
and defence, they need not fear any foo.
Four Of these vessels are In commission
to-day, and two others, the Kearsarge and
Kentucky, are expected to be ready in a year
and half. The Texas and Maine, smaller
battleships, are also in commission, az
are our fast armored cruisers Brooklyn and
New York. Half dozen double-turret
monitors are headed by the Puritan, 80
noble, eye-compelling warship," as Com
mander KELLEY calls her, and both she
ana the Monterey carry 12-inch guns. be-
sides smaller ones. Our bakers dozen of
single-turret monitors, relics of the late
war, are Of much less consequence but
might avail for harbor defence, while the
ram Katahdin must not be forgotten.
Our cruiser class, with such examples OF
speed as the Minneapolis, Columbia and
Olympia, has also celebrity of own, and
at last our long-delayed torpedo fotilla Ia
peBinutuR 10 swarm upon Cno waters, ana,
with the Porter, Is claiming place among
the worlds great flyers.
Such a review Of our naval resources in.
dicates that they are sufficient for any
projects we now have in view, including
the annexation Of Hawaii. Perhaps 1t may
be well to add, for the benefit of the anxious
that in table compiled by the high
authority We have quoted, our country
is put fifth in the list Of naval
| powers. Great Britain, France, Russia, and
Italy alone SURPRISING her, while rating by
"value in terms of standard" meaning
armored vessels Of the 1896 type, neither
| Spain nor Japan receives a valuation equal
even to one-half of ours. This last statement
may be Of interest also to that London news
paper which announces that, for all our navy
could do, the Hawaiian Islands i" would lis
at the mercy of any Spanish warships ap
pearing at Honolulu" while "Japan's sc,
power is SO immeasurably superior to thai
Of the United States" that naval demon
stration by her against US would plac.
President MCKINLEY In a perilous plight