Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-03-10
MAY BUY WARsHlPs ABROAD.
Tho Navy Department Said to Havo Bccn
Ordered to Open Negotiations.

The Navy Department Said to Have Boen
Ordered to Open Negotiations.
New York, March IA special to
the Herald from Washington says
Fully realizing the importance of
preparations for any emergency, the
President has directed the Navy De-
partment to open negotiations looking
to the purchase of warships. This fact
Is now for the first time made public
1t probably would not have transpired
at this juncture, but for the excite
ment caused by the statement pub
lished that Spain had purchased or
was negotiating for warships being
built by the Elswick Company Of Eng
land for Brazil and for other ships
under construction. With n view OF OBJ
tanning the facts, your correspondent
called upon high official OF the ad-
minIstratiOn and obtained m official
admission for the first time that while
the President does not anticipate war,
lie recognizes that there Is n possibil-
ity Of hOstilitles growing out of the
Cuban problem and the Maine disas-
ter, md that he proposes to be pre-
pared for II.
There has been ample evidence of
this In the preparations patent TO
everybody, which have been In prog
no official admission to this effect until
now.
Eight men-of-war which are prnctic-
ally completed In foreign shipyards
have been offered for sale In the Unit.
cd States. The President has given
consideration to the ndvisabllity Of
placing an option on them.
The Navy Department has been care.
fully watching the construction abroad
through the eyes of Its naval attaches
Mt London, Paris, st. Petersburg. Ber-
lin, Vienna and Rome. This surveil.
lance has been maintained for two
months, but more especially since the
Maine disaster.
Through the attaches and from the
shipbulldes themselves, the secretary
OF the navy has learned that lie can
now purchase two smnll-sIzcd battle.
ships. two nrinored cruisers and four
torpedo boats. nil ut comparatively
that they can deliver the vessels to
agents Of this government Mt this time
complete In every respect. md nll that
will be necessary for the ndmlnistra-
tion to do will he to order the neccs-
sary details Of officers and men to pro-
coed to the ship yard. to go on board
the vessels and take them to any point
which may bc desired.
The builders have urged that the
purchases be made mt once. Us they
say that n declaration OF war between
the United States would result In the
enforcement OF neutrality measures
and prevent the sale OF the ships.
The battleships and nrmored cruisers
have been built by English and Ger
man firms for governments which arc
now unable to pay for them. nnd now
this government would be able to OBJ
tain the vessels by simply putting
down the amount OF cash. The four
torpedo boats have been offered by the
Thorncroft Ship Building Company,
whose boats are recognized by experts
to he among the best in the world.
While your correspondent was unable
to learn the names OF the ships which
have been offered to this government,
there Is reason to believe that among
them are three powerful ships under
construction nt the Vulcan works, Stet-
tin. Germany. for the Chinese govern
ment. These ships are of 5000 tons
displacement. contracted to make 1915
knots. md will be able to carry not
less than thousand tons Of coal In
their bunkers.