New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-20

CONGRESS ASKED TO RERATE WARSfIIPS.
AS soon Congress rec0nvenes after the holiday
recess Secretary Long will ask that the statutes
be amended TO reclassify naval vessels according
to their Displacement instead Of by the number OF
guns they carry The law 1t stands IS
highly antiquated and the only honor paid to II
in the last fifty years has been altogether in the
breach Judge-Advocate General Lemly recently
commenting on the subject. said:
'By sections l.529 and 1880 OF the Revised Stat
ues 1t IL provided that the vessels Of the Navy Of
the United States shall be divided into four classes
steamships OF forty guns being classed
as first rates those OF twenty guns and under forty
az second rates, and all those OF less than twenty
guns as third rates; first rates to be commanded
as reariy may be by commodores second rates
by captains. third rates by commanders and fourth
rates by lieutenant-comman ders. although the law
does not specify what vessels TO be regarded
fourth rates. Some such general division OF yes
sells into classes. with proper directory provisions
as 20 the rank OF their commanding officers appears
to he desirable bat II IS obvious that the classca-
ton set fOr;h In tho section cited relates 10 vessels
OF a design now obsolete and has reference TO n
period when the offensive strength OF naval vessels
depended upon the number rather than the calibre
OF guns carried. Inasmuch as the great changes
which have taken place In naval architecture IN
recent years render It mpractlcAble to carry out
these provisions Of law respecting the classification
OF vessels. steps ought 20 be taken secure such
a modification OF the requirements Of the law as
Will render II applicable present conditions. II
may be proper 10 add. in this connection. with reg
crencc 70 the provisions OF Section l.529 on this
subject that ;hc practice OF assigning commodorss
the omma1d OF vessels OF the first rate has :or
som" year, pag, been discontinued"
According 70 guns. there could BE- no first
raie y'ssos AZ present In our Navy. The Kear-
sarge ana the Kentucky will have In thor main
...-, 4 Il
with twenty wnuii barely squeeze in;o the second
rat" Will" the baule-ships Iowa. Illinois, Alabama
cigAt.rp guns each. would Doe counted as third
rit.-. with th" remainder ~ the five modern
s. .f,,arv Long viii ak that al vessels OF 5000
tons displacement or Over be CLASSIFIED IS irSt rate
tons or over as third rate and 40 under 100 tons
o.. fourth rate "Nccpt thai o. torpedo boats De,
cas sc- 'ld"r this plan ia" following rearrange-
Non u warshlps VIII result: ,.
ck no- Aosama ard wscoqsia III '3 6,t tom
Puritan. ~ oeo Oi-mpl1. $50
second ca,s ti,oovc 1000 ns-Chlcago 800:
baltimore. LnS Phi,3de!phia' ~ Xe%@rk and
Ampfl'ri,e. Mo~ainock and Terror. 500, Charles
ton. 3,2o Lancaster. 3Go fincinnlh and 'a.elsh.
THIRD class ,ahove 100 tons)-IIarford. 2I@o; ka-
tahdlu 2l5j; AJAX Caronicrs Man'pac. Manh1',
Montgomery $50. Marion md Mohlcan. 80: Co
mgu.b . Cn'skIu Jason i.ehigh MontaIk. Nahant
Xtr,ucEot AMI Pnssltc So. Bennington. Concord
and Yorktown. 100. Dolphin SO WIininSi3n std
prie. 80 Nashville. l3.I. Moro -acy. 1870; Thetis
20 Castinc and Marhlas. In Alert and Ranger.
go Arnrpolis Nicksburg. Newport Princeton
Wheeling ana Marietta. 100
The fourth class VIII be-. led by the Nesuvius.
ac9. YlntIc 900: Petrol s12 Fern. so; Bancroft.
- and plnta so followed by tho tugboats used
AZ naval stations now twelve in number.
II l. interesting TO note ;hat those earlier bull
warks Of the Nation" like tho Constitution. 200
tons would under the now scheme he considered
third