The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-03-06
Said the Administration Has Such
Action 10 View at l'reSent.
CAN GET ALL WE REQUIRE
Fight Vessels Have Btsn offered BY rofslgn
Shipbuildipa Concerns While Japaa
Mould Lie 20 Sell ts Two.

New YORK, March b-A ilethld special
from Washington rays
Fully recognizing the importance Of be.
inE ready for any emergency. the presl'
dent has directed the navy department,
Ga open negotiations looking TO the pur'
chase abroad ~ warshlpr. This fact ID
for the nrst time made public II prob.
ably would have transpifcd nt this juno
turc but for the excitement caused BY
the statement published that Spain has
been the purchaser. OF WIS negotiating
for warships being built by the Elswick
Company of England for Brazil and for
other ships under construction. Win 4
view of obtaining the facts. your cor
respondent called upon o high official Of
the administration and obtained an ON.
ciai admission made 'or The frst time
that while the president does not antici'
pate war, be- recognizes that there Is d
possibility of hostiliilcs growing out Of
the Cuban problem and the Maine dis.
nstrr and that be- proposes to Doe pre-.
pared for H. There has been ample cyi'
dcncr ~ this IN the preparations patent
TO everybody which have been In progress
for some time. but there has been no
oifcinl admission 20 this eject until now.
Eight mrn-of.war which are practically
completed IN foreign ship yards have been
offered Tor sale 60 the United states. The
president has given consideration tu the
adyisabilliy II placing an option on thom.
The navy department has been carefully
watching the construction abroad through
the eyes Of its naval attaches AT London,
Paris. st. Petersburg, Berlin. vienna, and
Rome This surveillance has bccn main
tnlncd for two months but more cspec'
tally since the Maine disaster. Through
the attaches and from the rhipbuIldcrs
themselves the secretary ~ the navy hns
learned thar he can now purchase two
small sized batllcships. two armorcd
cruisers, and four torpedo boats. all at d
comparatively low price. The builders
have promised that they can deliver the
vessels TO agents OF this government at
this time complete In every respect and
all that will be necessary for the admin
isiartion TO do will be 20 order the ncccs-
sary details Of officers and men TO pro-
cccd to the ship yard, 80 on board the ves-
sells and take them away 10 any point
which may be desired, The builders have
urged that the purchases be made at once
as they say a declaration OF war between
the United States and Spain would result
In the enforcement Of neutrality meas
ures and prevent the sale OF the ships.
The battleshlps and armorod cruisers
have been built by England and German
Arms for governments which are now un-
able to pay for them, and this gov
crnmcnt would be able TO obtain the vcs-
sells by simply putting down the amount
Of cash,
The torpedo boats have been offered
by the Thornycroft Shipbuilding Compa
ny. 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 rea-
son TO believe that among them are three
powerful under construction at the Vul-
can works, Stettln, Germany. for the Chi
ncsc government These three ships are
OF 5000 tons displacement, contracted to
make 1875 knots and viii be able to carry
not less than thousand tons OF coal In
their hunkers There is also reason to
believe that IN case OF trouble, this gov
crnmcnt could purchase from Japan the
KaisagI and the Chlosa, which are near
Ing completion at Philadelphia and the
Union Iron Works,
The official with whom your cores
pondent talked had no doubt that Japan
would be willing TO aid the United States
by selling the warships before the COM
mcncemcnt Of war