New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-19
Tie BEST NAIY ~ TIE WORLD.

The Secretary of the Navy and the Naval
Board of Construction are entitled 10 the appre-
ciativc thanks of the Nation They have. so far
as the character of the ships Is concerned,
adopted exactly the right course in proVidlhe
for enhancement of the Navy. The proposal 10
build sixteen-knot battle-ships. perhaps in the
very ward in which an eiglteen-knot ship Is
being built for al alien Power, merely for the
sake of avoiding the bother. slight expense ana
immaterial delay of preparing new plans has
been abandoned. Instead the Department VIII
ask Congress for authority and means 10 bulld
ships of more than nineteen knots speed.
These will be gigantic battle ships, carrying the
heaviest possible armor and the most efhclent
guns Ships one-third larger and one-fourlh
swifter than the Oregon. and as strong IN arinor
and armament. will indeed be the most formi-
dablc fighting machines afoat Three such the
Department proposes TO build. Remembering
the superb work OF the New-lork and the
BROOKLYN the Board Of Construction rightly
thinks the Navy should have some more such
ships But il rightly thinks, also, that they can
be improved upon. SO II Is planning for three
cruisers from one-third 10 oDe-half larger than
those great ships and at least two knots faster
that is 10 say, swifter than even The swift Co
lumbia and Minneapolis. and as strong as the
New-YOrk and the Brooklyn. Nor Is the superb
Olympia forgotten. II is proposed 10 build
4 rec vessels of her class, but larger, more
powerful and Of greater speed and, finally, six
smaller cruisers, midway between the Boston
and the Mlrblehoad. Of about the same speed
as the former or q little faster sixteen knots
but of enlarged coal capacity and cruising
radius In fact, all these vessels will have cx-
cruisers will be able TO go thirteen thousand
knots without recoang, the secOnd-class cruls-
ers nearly as far the first-class cruisers ten
thousand knots and even the pondcrous battle
ships not less than eight thousand knots. \
battle-ship more powerful than the Oregon,
capable Of steamng from Ncw-York to Liver
pool and back and then down TO Barbados or
from New-York to Bombay, without stopping
for coal will be the most formidable vessel the
seas have ever borne.
In brief, the Department proposes to add to
each of four classes Of ships, and to do in
quality as well as IN quantity. Ii takes for its
models the very best vessels Of their respective
classes, and proposes TO improve upon them 1t
means that each new ship that is built shall he
superior in some essential respect 10 It's prede
| ccssors Not only will 1t not submit to arf lag
SURPRISING their best achievements. The great
Russian batte-ships now being built are to have
Il sI,cd of eighteen knots. Ours are TO nave a
speed of nineteen. They will thus be almost as
large and fully as powerful asany batte-ships
in any navy in the world. and at least a knot
swifter: floating fortresses as swift as any but
the very swiftest cruisers Our new cruisers
will be larger and stronger and swifter than
any others in the world. That means that ship
for ship. our Navy Is to be superior to all others,
and that this Nation, which for a hundred
years has taught the whole world almost every
thing il has learned In naval science, Is still 10
maintain its proud preelnincnce.
That Is exactly as II ought TO be. and we may
Justly add as The Tribune has. in season and
out Of season, taken the lead in urging that it
should be. The United States may never have
the biggest, but it should have the best. Navy
In the world We believe II has that to-day
We believe that such ships as the Oregon, the
Brooklyn and the Olympia are to-day unrivalled
! in their respective classes by ships under any
other flag. We believe that In skill OF officers
and valor OF men, In accuracy OF aim and per-
lection Of discipline the United States Navy Is
to-day the best In the world But It will not
remain the best II 1t rests satisfied with past
achievements. Other naval Powers are learn.
ing our lessons, prOtting by our experience aud
example and adopting our improvements. They
are moving ahead, and we, too must move
ahead or We shall not only lose our lead but