The times., 1898-02-19
PUBLIC OPINION.
Ii Holds That the Maine Disaster
Was One of Treachery

Was One of Treachery.
Members of both Houses of Congress
are beginning TO receive evidences of
the war feeling that exists throughout
the whole country. Thursday and yes
terday a great many letters and tee-
grams were received by public men of
both parties urging them TO agitate the
question Of large appropriations for the
national defense and for the immediate
increase of the naval establishment. Mr..
Boutelle, chairman of the House Com
mittee on Naval Affairs, has received a
great number of such letters and yes
terday afternoon he got telegram from
an enthusiastic constituent urging him to
introduce at once a resolution appropriat-
ing $50. 900 900 to carry on the war with
Spain Other members of the naval
committees of the House and Senate, sup
posed TO be close to the President, have
been similarly requested to join hands
in this work
Just what effect the loss of the Maine
will have upon the naval appropriation
bill remains to be seen. Mr.. Boutelle.
chairman of tkat committee. is now en-
gagged in sounding the sentiment of the
House.
There are three battleships now under
construction which can be put in COM
mission within the next four or five
months. They are the Alabama Wiscon-
sin and the Illinois. They are simply
awaiting their armor. and would have
been completed long ago had not the
Government and the armor contractors
fallen out as to the price of this pro-
tecting covering. The committee of each
House has reported in favor of paying
500 "A ton, which price the companies
agree To accept, and the contract with
the armor-plate factories has already
been made. The Kearsarge and Kentucky.
two other battleships of different patterns.
are almost completed, and can be put in
commission in about the same length of
time. To appropriate money for more
battleShipS now could not make those
battleshfps available for any immediate
contingency, and it is not thought that
more will be authorized by the forthcom-
ing naval bill.
The monitors which are now in COM
mission are said to be just as good coast
defense vessels as the battleships. and
are minus the intricate machinery, which
seems to be so essential to the latter Re-
lying upon these monitors and the battle
ships now in commission and soon TO be
completed. there is a very great proper
tion of Congressman who believe ii to be
the duty of Congress TO increase the naval
establishment by the construction of fast
armored cruisers and torpedo boats and
torpedo boat destroyers. The cruisers
they claim, are of inestimabe advantage
in pursuing and destroying the commerce
of an enemy, and the rapidity with which
they can move from spot to spot makes
them dangerous foe even for fighting
machines of greater effectiveness
The advocates of the construction of
torpedo boats find strong argument in fa-
yor of their contention in the destruc-
ton of the Maine, providing that ship was
sent to the bottom through the agency
of torpedo These torpedo boats are
little fellows that move with exceeding
rapidity in the water. and can slip into
ports and attack an enemy secretly. If
they are able to get within distance of a
battleship the destruction they can cause
Is vastly greater than that produced by
any battleship, and the naval experts all
agree that the American Navy is sadly
deficient in this class of fighting craft.
On the other hand, there is a very con-
siderable element in both Houses in IA
vor of the further construction of battle
ships of the highest type such as the
Iowa and the Massachusetts,. which are
sea-going vessels capable of being util-
lied either as weapons of offense or de-
fense. While the disaster to the Maine
has caused a very lively discussion in
both Houses as to what is best to be
done in the matter of the further deveI-
opinsHl OF the navy absolutely no con-
clusion has been reached as to what shall
be done. The House committee is now
considering the appropriation bill, but
has not reached the consideration Of the
item relating to the increase of the naval
itself.
There has been considerable adverse
criticism at the Capitol on account of the
persistent representations of the Navy
Department that the destruction of the
Maine was due to an accident. despite the
fact that the department claims to have
no positive information upon which to
base an opinion. The opinion of many is
that this board will find the accident to
have been due to a blow from a torpedo.