The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1898-09-09

Mr. simpson. tnIDk perhaps the
gentleman is right; and it shows the
and the wisdom of the Jap
anese in selecting the swift armored
cruisers aud torpedo boats instead of
spending enormous sums of money in
the construction of unwieldv battle
ships. Japan has no battle ships with
armor to exceed nine inches. That we
would call light armored vessel. But
you propose here in this bill to con-
big line-of-b attl- ships with
these enormously thick steel armor
p ates.
Besides that. Mr.. Chairman, such
vessels are not seagOiug V. ssels. They
are not intended for such purposes, and
are fit only for coast defense. Few ma
tions avail themselves of the battle
ships 20 send to foreign ports. Great
Britain is the only exception of any Of
the maritime nations that sends any
number If her 81 heavy battle ships to
foreign ports. They are used mainly
for coast defense.
Mr.. Money. If the gentleman will
pardon ~ interruption, did not catch
his statement accurately. Did l under
stand the gentleman to say that the
armOred battle ships were not seagoing
vessels?
Mr.. Simpson. Not considered as
such
Mr.. Money. Not considered by
whom?
Mr.. Simpson (continuing). Because
the heavy armor pa es make them top
heavy in addition to the immense arm
anent they carry; and what [ have just
stated with reference tc the use of these
battle ships is true of every nation ex-
cept Great Britain, who sends few of
them to foreign ports.
Mr.. Sayers. The gentleman is speak
ing now of the heaviest class of battle
ships
Mr.. Simpson. Yes, sir; the heaviest
armored ships?
Now, the only reason why we want
these ships is t. DE enabled TO use them
for coast defense. Let US sec how prac-
tical that is. This class Of ships of the
displacement mentioned in the bill, is
in the neighborhood of 10000 tons; and
they will draw probably not less than
20 feet. How many ports in the United
States can vessels enter with such
heavy draft, and be utilized as IA means
of coast defense? 1 venture to say that
there is not half dozen ports in the
United States in which they can safely
enter; and so, as means of coast de-
Tense, they will be useless. For the
protection OF our long line of coast and
the numerous small bays and harbors
that indent it we want light-draft YES
sells, quick, active, speedy, and which
can defend the coast by being able to
enter the smaller ports, or those hav-
ing less depth of water, with facility.
So, repeat, as means of coast defense,
vessels of this class, light-draft vessels
and swift cruisers are invaluable.
But, sir, there is another phase of
this question to be considered; that is
whether the battle ship when built will
not be useless on account of the rapid
development and discovery in the shape
of inventions increasing the already
powerful ordnance we have already in
this country. We go 10 work now and
construct a battle ship at an immense
cost, sheathe it with enormous steel
plates, and then at once produce a gun
that will shoot ball right through
her. We have today ordnance that
will shoot through the most powerful
ironclad that has been built.
l cut from the daily press the other
day paragraph which throws light on
the subject. 1t says:
The Golden Gate is to be protected by three
of the biggest guns in use in the United States.
They will be pointed seaward from vantage
positions on either side of the gate, and they
are calculated to furnish complete defense
against any craft that might escape the shells
which the new mortar batteries will send out
to sea for the distance of six miles. These guns
as long seven average-Sized guns, and
two men might easily crawl into the bore of
one of the wonders.
Mr.. Loud. When is that to be?
Mr.. Simpson. Right away.
Mr.. Loud. Well, we have heard the
same thing for many years, and it has
M