The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-23
SA\ 49, ~'~e -
United States Fighting
Ships Lead World.
John Bull Must Now Take Off
His Hat to Uncle Sam.
Diplomats VINO Take Interest In the
American Newspapers.


these days of annexation and OF rumors OF
annexation, Of wars and rumors Of wars,
Il is gratifying 10 the average American
citizen 10 know that the navy of his coun'
try is constantly making progress. IL Is
conceded by nll authorities that the Brook.
lyn Of our navy is one of the very finest
vessels at the queens jubilee. That she IL
at the head Of her class and one Of the
very first fighting ships Of the world If
admitted even by the foreign critics. A
most gratifying feature OF our efforts 10
build UP "A new navy IL that when we do
construct new ship she is almost sure TO
be Of the most advanced type and construc
ton. American naval designers stand at
the head Of their profession. have been
told by competent authorities that one OF
our naval designers, Mr.. Taylor, stands ut
the yery top Of the list, and that there Is
not a first class nation In the world thai
would not be glad to give him thrice OF
five times the poor salary paid him by the
United States government.
Our Fighting Vessels.
Not long ago friend of mine was In a
famous club In San Francisco. There he
met in social way an officer Of one Of the
British ships then In port. During the
conversation the American was astonished
70 hear has British naval friend say
"As we came into harbor day or two
ago we passed the greatest lighting ship
that floats in water.
Remembering that tho man who uttered
these words was n foreign naval officer, and
an Englishman at that, the American tried
TO recollect what great British man of war,
or perhaps German or French or Italian,
was in port. But the Englishman himself
cleared up the mystery by adding:
81 refer 10 the Puritan, your own NOM
tor. think she is tho greatest seaRoine
fighting machine In the world, and think
30 because she has the lowest free board in
proportion TO her offensive power of all the
naval craft have ever seen or heard of. "
Theodore Roosevelt, the new assistant
secretary of the navy, is an enthusiast In
naval matters To every man who calls
on him Mr.. Roosevelt says in that persua
sivo way of his
"Now don't forget to preach up the navy
10 your friends. Tell them that with the
policy the United States Is now apparently
starting out upon we must have larger
and greater navy Tell them there is nc
great foreign policy without big guns and
handy ships to carry them. Recall to your
them that some day we are going TO have
great merchant marine, and that we
must have naval vessels TO protect It,
Tell them we Americans want to feel that
we do not have to take The sauce Of any
other nation on the fnce of the globe, and
that we want to know we have the ships
and the guns and the men TO back VI
what we say"
The spanish Minister.
Dupuy de LONE, the Spanish minister
In Washington, Is u man just now much
talked about. Our threatened troubles
with Spain and the herculean efforts which
De LONE has been making TO avert them
have brought his name to the tips of all
the gossiping tongues. A friend Of his told
me the other day story illustrating how
smart the Spanish minister is. He knows
all the newspaper correspondents In this
city by reputation II not personally. He
has made it his business to ascertain which
of them are near 60 the administration,
and therefore likely 10 have tips on com
ing policies. For the papers represented
by all these correspondents Sopor Dupuy
de LONE subscribes. and their columns he
watches like hawk. Now and then he
gains from them some important informa'
tion which would never come to his ears
in direct way BY carefully studying all
the papers and bearing In mind the rela
tions Of the correspondents To tho admins
tration be manages to keep himself about
the best informed nun in Washington as
10 all matters in which his government Il
interested.
Dupuy de LONE has not as yet thorough
" mastered the English language, al
l, he . 20 Inn pya
In English he has Spanish habit Of turn
ing an epiGram now and then. sometimes
Il is a rather cold blooded one. For In
stance, at the time when there were still
doubts of the fate of Macco, the brilliant
leader OF the insurgents, newspaper cor
respondent called nt the Spanish legation
70 SEQ If any further news had been re-
ceivcd ms to Maceo. The minister shid the
insurgent leader was dead and that he
knew where the corpse had been buried.
"But here Is dispatch which says Ma.
Geo is not dead" said the correspondent,
showing a telegram from Havana.
al dent know whether he Is dead or
not" replied Dupuy de Lone, with a
wicked smile, "but 1 do know that he Is
buried"
Personal Gossip.
who is almost but not quite blind. is an
other dillomatist who takes great interest
In Americ,N newspapers, though for diff
ferent reason. lie used TO bc "A newspaper
man himself "Yes, was apprcnticcd rs
printer In my fathers Office in Rio dc ia
nciro," soys Seror Mendonca. II can re-
member how ! loved 10 work with the
glistening tyres, nll Of which we imported
from the United States. j can also re-
member how when Twas first promoted TO
be reporter ] was so fond of my work
that used 90 sleep on the Office floor with
only hurdle, n papers under my head"
Secretary bliss Of the interior depart
ment. like all other cabinet officers, Is n
coed d-el annoyed hy the Office seekers.
Mr.. Bliss has way Of bis own Of dispos-
ing of them, 40 least for the time being.
When they got too thick during the week,
he says TO them or sends. out word 20 them
that they will be received and ho given
good talk nest saturday. This looks like
business, and every place hunter io whom
THE ,,,sseoo, a. f,ltxsrsI Dppe AMY an tia