The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-08-21

good fighting means big battleships. 1t
is generally recognized that this class of
armorclads will unquestionably be the
arbiter of the naval battles of the future.
Expert gunners are Indispensable, but
none the less big guns and swift battle
ships.
1 had a very interesting talk with
Commodore Melville chief of the Bureau
of Steam Engineering, on this whole sub
ject- The commodore is one of the advo-
Gates of higher speed in our ships, and
holds a prominent place in the Board of
Construction of the Navy
with all the experience of the past
and the probabilities of the future" said
Commodore Melville, there seems to be
but one opinion among naval experts,
marine engineers and naval constructors
namely that the highest rate of speed
must be attained in our ships, even at the
sacrifice of some other conditions.
In addition TO this all vessels must
have as broad a range of action in re-
gard to coal as il is possible TO put into
them; and it would be really worth while
after ship is properly designed, to add
| sufficient length to the vessel to carry
( an extra / 000 tons of coal. For coal has
! proven to be of as much Importance as
powder shot and shell.
1.-The American people VIII be satisfied
with nothing short of the highest speed
in their ships. it matters not by whom
| they are designed. what the plans are or
who constructs them The highest speed
consistent with safety will be insisted
| upon.
1T is only proper for the United States
/ to have a navy equal TO that of any
other nation in the world, even if we
| forget a foreign policy and consider our
home needs alone.
I'VE find that battleships and cruisers
| are being built more and more alike Good
battleships cannot be made much less
than 1900 or 1900 tons to carry adequate
armor and armament. First-class cruis-
ers should not be built less than 5000 tons,
| in order that they may have, like a bat
| tleship, the highest possible rate of
! speed. and carry protective decks and
| light armor TO protect their heaviest as
well as their secondary batteries.
This is where the two classes of ships
will run very much together. Second
! class cruisers should also be of the high
est possible speed, and have a dispIace-
ment of from 5000 to 5000 tons. These
vessels cannot carry much protection. but
should have the highest possible speed
with protected decks, as well as protec-
ton for the rapid-ffre batteries in order
that the men will remain at their guns.
1t should be noted that the modern
| hrst-class CT uisers OF Great Britain are
running UP into u, 600 tons-pretty nearly
| as large. you see, as the battleshfps that
| the United States are now contemplating
| to build
You can readily understand WHY
/ higher speed in our ships is imperative .
The Spanish war has opened the ewes
| Of the world to another side of naval one
| rations-the need of revitualing and coal
| ing vessels while at sea, as well as sup
I Twin fIav
| seems TO have anticipated other nations
in this respect, but now nearly all are
! trying TO cover up their neglect and lack
| OF naval coaling stations in an ATTEMPT
to actually replenish their ships on the
| water.
The French naval maneuvers in the
| Mediterranean the latter part of July
are interesting in this respect. The
| Japon, collier of 5000 tons. while
| steaming six knots in a rough sea and
| strong breeze, succeeded in supplying
| the Marceau and the Latouche Treyille
with 1908 tons of coal While the expert
ment was not a complete success never
theless the French admiralty have de-
| cided to attach the Japon permanently to
| the Mediterranean naval reserve squad
ron. So that the ParlezVous's, as Car
| lyle calls them, may ibe said to have
started new era. in naval enterprise by
| actually victualing ships on voyages,
| and supplying all their needs at sea. 1t
| Is interesting to note, in connection with
| the proposed new navy, that the South
and West are apparently more enterpris-
ing than the East in getting battleships
named after them. Counting the three
for which bids will be opened September
l, we will have just dozen of these ar
morclads. namely, the Maine. Massachu-
| sets, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky,
Iowa, Missouri, Alabama, Texas, Oregon
and Kearsarge. And If we propose to
equal or eclipse England, we will need to
build enough battleships so that every
State in the Union will be represented
by these formidable floating forts. With
every State having its namesake In our
navy. and Hawaii and Porto Rico in the
procession, we will be able to defy the
| world on either land or sea. This may
seem big number; but there is no more
reason why America, with its millions OF
acres of mainland, should not have as
many fighting ships as England with Ns
little islands.