La Junta tribune. (La Junta, Bent County, Colo.) 1881-1939, 1898-03-12
MAY BUY WATsH,ps ABROAD.


The Navy Department Said TO Have Been
ordered to Open Negotiations
New York, March IA special TO
the Herald from Washington says:
Fully realizing the importance of
preparations for any emergency. the
President has directed the Navy DE
partment TO open negotiations looking
to the purchase Of wnrships. This fact
Is now for the first time made public,
1t probably would not have transpired
Mt this tuncturc. but for the excite
ment caused by the statement pub
iished that Spain had purchased or
was negotiating for warships being
built by the Elswick Company Of Eng
land for Brazil. and for other ships
under construction. With view OF OBJ
tanning the facts. your correspondent
called upon a high official OF the ad-
minlstration and obtained an official
admission for the first time that while
the President does not anticipate war.
he recognizes that there is possibii-
ity OF hostilitIes growing ont OF the
Cuban problem and the Maine disas-
ter, and thnt he proposes to he pre-
pared for II.
There has been ample evidence OF
this In the preparations patent To
everybody. which have been In prog
Ee1s tot eofie ttiiie. uut tucTe HuS tN'tfi
no official admission to this effect until
now.
Eight men-of-war which are practic-
ally completed In foreign shipyards
have been offered for sale In the Unit
ed States The President has given
consideration to the advisabIlity Of
placing an option on them.
The Navy Department has been care.
fully watching the construction abroad
through the eyes OF its naval attaches
at London. Paris. st. Petersburg. Ber-
lin, Vienna and Rome. This surveil-
lance has been maintained for two
months. but more especially since the
Maine disaster.
Through the attaches and from tho
shipbuilders themselves. the secretary
OF the navy has learned that lie can
now purchase two smSll-sized battle
ships. two nrmored cruisers and four
torpedo bonts, NIL mt comparatively
low price. The builders have promised
that they cnn deliver the vessels TO
agents of this government at this time
complete In every respect, and all ting.
will he necessary for the administra-
ton to do will be to order the neces-
sary details OF officers and men to pro-
cced to the ship yard, TO go on board
the vessels and take them to any point
which may be desired.
The builders have urged that the
purchases be made at once, rs they
say that n declaration Of wnr between
the United States would result In the
enforcement Of neutrality measures
and prevent the sale Of the ships.
The battlesbips and armored cruisers
have been built by English and Ger
man firms for governments which nrc
now unable 10 pay for them. and now
this government would be able to OBJ
tain the vessels by simply putting
down the amount OF cash. The four
torpedo boats have been offered by the
Thorncroft Ship building Company.
whose boats are recognized by experts
TO be among the best In the world.
While your correspondent was unable
to learn the names of the ships which
have been offered TO this government.
there Is reason to believe that among
them are three powerful ships under
construction Mt the Vulcan works, Stet-
tin. Germany. for the Chinese govern
ment. These ships are OF 5000 tons
displacement. contracted to make 1o.5
knots. md will be able to carry not
less than thousand tons of coal In
their bunkers.