Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-03-17

Washington, March 1aa.-The limited
STATES government has not vet ac-
4uired a single additional shin for the
navy Thta is true not because of a
lack OF offers of w,.rships from
abroad, but Simply for the reason that
the new navy department is proceed
Ing with all Of the circamspection con-
Sistent with the needs CT the case in
looking after the qualities and prices
OF the craft. There is a strong dispo.
sit'on to refrain from being drawn
into bad bargains and to insist on get
ting good vessels at prices not ex-
tortionate. Secretary Long was in re-
ceipt Of large number of cablegrams
almost all relating to offers of ships.
Lieut.. Niblack. the United States
naval attache ut Berlin, St. Peters
burg and Vienna, is particularly active
Ill the quest TO-. vessels. There was a
good deal of talk during the day about
the ASSIGNMENT Of officers to the com.
mana OF auxiliary cruisers. the st.
raul and st. Louis being specially
mentioned, but Secretary Long set
these stories at rest by the statement
tiiat ne had not made any such as
signnents and had only progressed to
the point Of informing himself of the
possibility of getting the ships Of
ficered and manned quickly.
While looking after new ships the
omc1als OF the navy department are
not neglecting old vessels, and ar.
rangements have been made
To Make Short Repairs
On several ships, that in the ordinary
course would not be treated in that
fashion, but would receive thorough
and time-consuming overhauling
Thus in the case of the Philadelphia,
which has had five years hard work
and has never yet been done over as
is the custom, orders have gone to
Mare Island to put her in shape for
sea within forty days. The Yorktown,
ut the same yard is not to be touched
at present, not only because she is
in fair condition. but also because
she is not so formidable a craft as to
make it desirable to divert to her re-
pair attention required elsewhere. AT
Norfolk the Newark is set down for
thirty days repairs. and as a good
deal of work has already been done
on Ter she will be almost Il new ship
when she comes out CT the yard. The
big monitor Puritan has practically
completed her repairs. The monitor
COmanche at Mare Island has been ex-
amined and found in tolerable condi-
ton.
At League Island the no1itGr Man
tonomoh. and the ram Katahdin went
into commission yesterday, although
they have not vet had their orders.
They probably will remain i'll the Del
aware river or drop down into the
hay. The torpedo boat Dupont sailed
from Mobile to attach herself again
to the flotilla at Key West. Again it
was said at the navy department that
notl,ng had been heard from
The Court of Inquiry
at Havana nor from Admiral Sicard
at Key West. The presence in the city
OF several persons connected with
steamship lines and steel works led to
the circulation of a number of sensa-
tional stories during the day, but per-
llaps none of these had the Dersis-
tency of one that found currency at
the capitol. until it met with Il sum-
mary denial at the hands of Assistant
Secretary Day. to the effect that Min
lister WOOdfOrd had notified the Span
ish government that the president in
tended to send to congress 4 message
announcing his recognition of Cuban
independence.
A conference was held in the office
of Assistant Secretary Roosevelt to
map out plans for arming and equip
ping merchant vessels as auxiliary
cruisers. MIR. Roosevelt presided and
others present We're Capt. Crownin-
shield. of the bureau of navigation;
Capt. O'Neill, Of the bureau Of ORD
nance: Chief Hichborn, of the bureau
OF construction, and Commander Brad
ford, of the bureau of yards and docks.
This meeting had been preceded by a
call from President GrIscom, of the
International Navigation company,
which owns the four ships. st. Louis.
st. Paul, Paris and New York. The
board meeting brought out Il general
discussion of the work the various
bureaus would be called upon to per-
form in making these and other YES
sells ready as auxiliary cruisers.
MONEY FOR DEFENSE