Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-05-18
Ex-S ETARY TRACY
He Speaks highly of the Good Work of
the Navy.
Ships Meeting Every Expectation
More Big Armored Cruisers
Needed.

Ex-Secretary of the Navy Tracy of New
York, under whose administration OF the
Navy Department many of the battle ships
and cruisers of our new navy were pro-
jected and built, was at the Navy Depart
ment today, meeting his cid associates and
talking with the officials On the status of
the present war. General Tracy was asked
II our ships in their present active service
met the expectations he had of them when
the new navy was being developed.
ITO judge from Manila, they are meeting
every expectation" said General Tracy.
And yet l believe it to be the plain duty of
Congress to Immediately authorize the con-
struction of six large armored cruisers of
the most modern type, even larger than the
cruisers New York and Brooklyn. These
should be ordered in addition to the ships
authorized by the regular naval appropria-
ton bill. Now that We are called upon to
carry on offensive warfare the need of ar
mored cruisers is imperative, and the lack
OF them Is at present a serious handicap.
Our new navy was developed on the idea
OF being a defensive navy, not offensive
one. II was thought that if We ever had
war it would be with one of the great naval
powers, capable of throwing their vast ma
val armament against our SHORES. To meet
TINS onslaught We proceeded on the theory
OF having navy to protect our long stretch
OF coast, and incidentally to scout the
ocean and erect all the damage possible on
the commerce which most of the naval
powers possess. For that reason we built
our battle ships and sunarmored cruisers
Inc battle ship is essentially for defensive
purposes; it lacks that speed essential 10
carry on effective offensive warfare al
though, OF course, it is a valuable adjunct
IN any line of warfare. The unarmored
cruisers, such the Minnea polls and CO.
lumbia, We're designed mainly as swift
scouts, and also as commerce destroyers
NOW, however, We find ourselves at war
with a nation which has little commerce to
De destroyed, SO that the unarmored cruiser
mas little work to accomplish in the line of
It's original purpose as a commerce de-
stroyer' although valuable an adjunct in
any line In short, We are carrying on
what was not expected, an offensive instead
oI defensive war, and as a result we
ought TO have the ships capable of execut-
ing offensive warfare
hs armored cruisers New York and
pioohiyh are hne ships of their tyne and
are exactly fitted for this line of Offensive
Werk. Ihey combine the features of heavy
afmor and protected decks of an ironclad
.osether with the speed of a cruiser But
what we need is more of them The
strength or the Spanish squadron now in
southern waters lies in the fact that 1t
mas this type of armored cruiser with
spseu ana protective armor, suitable for
offensive work. Under the new conditions
Whlch nave arisen, it seems plain that Cnn
gress should provide at least six of these
armored cruisers. We are not only car1v
ing on an offensive warfare, but we are
reaching out to the Philippines. The entire
lneory OF defensive navy, on which our
present navy formed, has been
changed by this conflict with Spain, and
peins changed. the new conditions should
De promptly met by Congress-"
Wheh Gen. Tracys attention was called
TO the report that he might go to the Phil
ipplnes as civil governor general, he
laughingly dismissed the suggestion, and
SAID there had never been a thought of this
move except in the vivid ina gina tior of
some newspaper writer. The ex-Secretarv
strongly approves the energy of all DEPART
neh.s ol the government in coping with
the present emergency, and depreca;es tie
loose gossip and criticism which seeks to
force aggressive movements without re-
gard TO that mature consideration which
me momentous character of such move
ments require.