New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-06

1
are under construction in France for Japan. and
there are additional contracts for smaller craft
| With record OF nearly two hundred vessels
| or all classes building at homo and abroad, the
japanese Government is looming up as one OF
| the chief naval Powers of modern times. In
every class she will have the best aioat
FOREIGN WORK in EUROPEAN YARDS.
Each of the great maritime Powers builds it's
| own fleets Of war vessels and does not call
| upon rivals for assistance Russia does not
| construct warsh.ps for foreign nations. but Ger
| many France and Italy are now doing consid
| erablc work for foreign Governments especially
! in South America and the far East. England
! has been cut out OF various contracts by its
| energetic competitors. who have taken advan-
! tage of the recent strike in the engineering
i trade. Germany has been building warshlps for
| China as we'll Japan: France has been
/ constructing several Spanish ships, and has
secured important contracts from the far East
and also from South America, and Italy has
/ also been building war vessels for Brazil Brit
ish shpbuiiders have suffered heavily from the
protracted labor war. and have been unable
during the last eight months to take contracts
| for foreign work in which time guarantee
| was required.
The Armstrong; have been building at Els
| wick two protected cruisers for Brazil. ono OF
| $3.50 and the other Of 1850 tons They have
also a protected cruiser OF 1900 tons In progress
| for China and a similar one for Portugal They
| have In hand two cruisers and training ship
! for the CHILEAN Government. They building
/ two armored vessels. each OF $500 tons for Nor
| way.
The only other English work known TO be
| for the Spanish Government has been the con-
| struction Of four torpedo-boat destroyers at
| Clydebank These named Furor, Terror.
| Audaz and Osado. These vessels are OF steel
with three tunnels and a mast. They are 90
! feet long and % feet in beam. and have
| draught OF 8 feet, with displacement of go
| tons. The engines have an indicated horse
| power Of 5000. and the speed is estimated at
! % knots. These destroyers have a coal ca
| pacity Of 100 tons. They carry two 14-pound-
| ers two 6-pounders and two 1-pounders-all
| quick firing guns: and have torpedo-tubes of
! IA inches on deck. The last two Of these YES
sells have been delivered within few weeks.
| Another contract for torpedo craft is said to
have been made with builders on the Clyde, and
| certainly the construction of as many as twenty
torpedo-boats has been recently proposed at
| Madrid. The Spanish Government is reported
! to have been negotiating for the purchase of
several vessels under construction on the
| Continent and In England, but has been pre-
vented by lack Of money from making any bar
| gain. It's construction account last year In
cluded one batte-ship, three frst-cass cruisers,
four secend and third class cruisers, and four
torpedo craft Several ships have been recon-
structed in French and Spanish yards.
The vast expenditure required for the con-
struction Of batte-ships Of the best type carries
them beyond the reach Of bankrupt Power
like Spain. War vessels like the Shkshima
, and her two sister ships building in British
, yards cannot cost less than the Prince George.
upon which an aggregate OF over $4,550.000 has
been expended. The Spanish Government has
exhausted its borrowing powers at home and
abroad and been compelled to restrict its naval
expenditures for new vessels mainly to cruisers
and torpedo craft. Brazil Chilli Portugal and
other minor Powers forced to adopt similar
course. Japan is the only country outside the
circle of great maritime Powers-Great Britain
France. Russia, Germany. Italy and the United
States-whch is building navy without
regard for cost. Minor Powers with restricted
financial resources cannot pay for battle
ships Of the Majestic class. They only COM
pete effectively with the great navies In tor
pedo warfare
EVOLUTION IN NAVAL PROGRESS
The principle or the survival OF the ItteSt is
indeed already applied 10 naval armament. AL
though there has been no decisive battle on the
high seas for the benefit Of marine designers
and architects. only the richest nations can re-
main in the race for naval supremacy. The
weaker and poorer countries are forced out OF
IT, retiring under cover OF their torpedo-boats
The vastly Increased completely OF the mechan-
ism Of naval warfare renders scientific organiZa-
tion end systematic training Indispensable for
handling ship in action. Only the great navies
can meet the requirements. battle ship Ike
the Shiksh!ma will havn many eighty
auxiliary machines in addition to her main en-
gines and everything from the steering Of the
ship to the firing OF the guns VIII be done with
the aid Of steam, hydraulic or electric mechan-
ism Sheer brute force viii be OF no avail in
battle the floating fortress Viii be defended 10y
skilled mechanics with levers and wheels. an
swering TO orders communicated by pipes from
conniug-tower TO barbette. easement and engine
room All this complex mechanism can only he
used effectively by ships crew OF superior
Intelligence and discipline without high de-
rree Of scientific organization feet in a
chinese squadron was in the Yalu fight. This
conclusion holds with respect to torpedo war
fare no less than to the SUCCESSFUL handIihS OF
battle-ships. The torpedo is a terrible weapon,
hut only an expert and thoroughly disciplined
force can it against an alert ana Vig!lan'
enemy -. 80. ,eoa .,,,ar.
ard S50.pound shells. has the destructive energy
NJ an entire feet in the days or Nelson ana
Rodney one shot from i6-ton gun mas IN, tns
oncanrroted power Of a whole broadside from
an oIdatime seventy four But there Ia inherent
Ives kn.ss as we'll strength: A noatlne Tort
rsse IA itself q .nachineshop filled with intricate
mecbanlsm which may break down at any mo
ment. and. with all the DANGEROUS war material
stored in the magazines JACK lar rs cohuy.nnsu
sto, as, an a sleeping volcano. which without
uerping. may burst out with appalling destruc.
ton Even If the prondest leyia,hen be proof
bu.ana ,or seIf- destruction are commemorate
r',.,n the magnitude Of It's fighting power