The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-22
TEE NEEDS OF OUR NAVY.
,~v,RIoRITY OF THE ARMAMENT
nv SOME OF OUR SHIPS.
ASSISTANT sseret.r' Roo.svs,' Trs.. the I.-
,tslimont OF tho nOst Recent Tyre or Rapid
-. Guns on All SHIPS NJ Soon ne Possible.

..,t secretary Rooseveit UrGea the TIE
",.,,ucpt or tho Most Recent Tyre or Rapid
M. Guns on All ships Ne Soon as Possible.
u,surxeroN, Jan. 21.-Groat interest has
,.kcn in naval circles In tho comparison
-. nv Theodore Roosevelt, Assistant Sccro-
- =, the Navy, in a report transmitted to
c..rrs.s by Secretary Long, OF tho excellence Of
-. armament Of the Japanese cruiser Naniwa,
oh the inieriority OF those on tho United
o,,,., cruisers Philadelphia and Baltimore,
Hs,cb lay alongside tho Japanese ship In the
..rhor OF Honolulu. Naval officers express
indication at tho stand takon by Secretary
iong and Mr.. Roosevelt in urging the INSTALL
mani OF rapid fire guns on all American ships
!. ,oon ns possible, and they think the publica.
49, NJ the Assistant Secretnry's comparison
Iii hiring Congress TO q realization OF the I'm
ao-,anco OF the matter ut this critical timc.
n , srS reporter who asked him to-day to ex.
.,.ir more In detail what was needed to extend
~. comparison, Mr.. Roosevelt said:
"prouress Is SO continuous now, especially In
nrs that they have to be renewed from time
:. time. 1t Is, OF course, all nonsense to say,
-, this reason, that they should not be built.
m. prussian needle gun Is q very Anticipated
-,anon now, but II because Of tho rapid change
q, small arms the Germans had neglected to
arm themselves with It before 1895, Austria
and France might now stand ahead Of Prussia
~ muzzle leaders could have won Sedan and
Gravelotte.
.so the guns of the San Francisco, the Balti-
more. the Boston, the Bennington, the Concord
and the Yorktown were very good ten years
.po hut they are not what our war ships should
have now These vessels TssE are n all good doU vessels sells
boats. They have good speed and fair coal
capacity. For the type, the machinery and
even the nrm no. change n ~ , mnsh amor. more SLOWLY than
lively inferior in armament to modern vessels
OF foreign powers, which have been armed with
s ir Instance InyIs to a German ship like the Kaiserin
Augusta, with her rapid-ire 6,inch guns; to
a Japanese ship like the .Yoshino. with her
similar cruisers newly armed in England
and France. On the other hand, the Olympia,
the Cincinnati and the Raleigh. the Marbleheaa,
their fighting capacity. are on a level with for
eign ships. although in some other points, as.
The Raleigh arc not equal to the American
ships | first named, and coal capacity Is very
Important. ,., a.. ,,,,a
cruiser Brooklyn are as well armed as any ships
Of their types in the world, although on the
guns should be substituted as quickly as pos,
Sible for the slow.tire 6-inch guns aboard
them. But the New York ought to have heay-
Ter weapons in her rapid.tire batteries than the
~ AlNhA HN'-
Department is changing the armament of these
vessels asfast as it;can. The Chicago. the Phila-
delphia, the Newark, and tho Atlanta are now
being fitted with new rapid-fre batteries. 1
have no question that Congress will give us the
money to so on with the change until all our
vessels carry tine finest modern artillery. And,
OF course. it is not enough that the guns SHOULD
be rapid. firing. They must also have the best
mounts, the best ammunition hoists. and Mt
tings for the supply of ammunition generally.
FINALLY. 1t must be remembered that our
crews. no less than our guns. must be brought
10 the highest pitch of perfection, and this
means constant and unwearied drill at sea. in
manpuvring the ships separately. and together
and in target practice under service conditions.
What is going on in China, and the unfriendli-
ness OF utterance in Europe. esnecially among
the Continental powers. as regards America
and the Monroe doctrine, should be sufficient to
warn all people that in the interest of peace, no
less than for the sake of the preservation Of the
national honor. VIC should. go on in the work OF
upbuilding the navy, and, should spare no eX'
pense in bringing TO the highest point OF. eff
cheney the ships we now have-splendid ships
commanded. and manned by officers and crew.
other service In the world"