The times., 1898-08-19
TO INCREASE THE NAVY
Plans for New Ships Are Now
Being Prepared.
AN APPEAL TO CONGRESS
lions to the Present Naval Estab-
Iishmenf Are Ccntcmplatcd-The
building of Three Transport Ships
Nfu Also BE Recommended
Views of a Naval Officer.

One of the chief results of the Spanish
american war, if the naval authorities
can have their way will be an increase
in the size of the navy. The department
is row preparing plans, which will be
submitted TO Congress soon after il meets.
for large number of ships of the finest
type built, bat;leships and armored cruis-
ers.
These ships Secretary Long and naval
officers will urge Congress to authorize,
ana elaborate arguments as TO Their ne
cessity are being prepared by the Navi-
gaton and Construction Bureaus and the
War Board. 1t is the belief of the de-
partment that Congress, in j generous
mood, viii authorize the construction Of
at least fifteen new sh, ps.
A board OF naval inquiry, appointed for the
purpose Of Secretary Long. has the plans
directly under its charge. All that the board
has learned in the exper. .ences of the war
VIII be utilized in argument for the new
ships in the same way that the eXper.-
ence has been a very strong argument
TO the members themselves.
The plans of the board are already
practically decided upon. There will be
three or more iirst-class battleships. of
the most modern type, capable of eigh-
teen TO twenty knots speed, and having
great coal endurance, but at the same
time HAVING the heaviest armor and ar
mament. These ships will somewhat re-
senble the magnificent vessels of the
British Channel Squadron" but speed
ier
The board viii also strongly recommend
several flrst-class aTmored cruisers, such
as every hrst-class navy in the world is
now building, except Americas. These
cruisers VIII be capable of twenty-five
knots speed. or, perhaps more, the ques-
ton of speed and coal capacity conflicting
somewhat in the plans. They will be
heavily armored for their class. and will
have heavy batteries of eight-inch guns
IN addition 10 strong secondary batter
les. There Will also be second-class bat
eeships similar to the Maine, except
that they viii be capable of greater speed
The plans of the Naval Board make very
Clear one new fact TO be considered in
navy plans for the future The question
OF coal capacity has been one of the mat
ters of most vital Importance from the
beginning of the war. The new ships are
10 be built for country with interests
on the other side of the globe They
are not TO be simply for harbor and coast
defense. but for the protection of COM
merce and American rights
The first plans for AL of the new ships
contemplated even q greater speed than
that now decided upon. There is still
some difference of opinion in the matter.
After a certain point of speed and coal
capacity the structural possibilities in
shipbuilding VIII only allow of increasing
flG ~ he 9th
The Naval Board has under con-
sideration another plan of importance for
the new navy 1t believes that the
navy should have charge of all transpor-
tation OF troops in peace as well as in
war. This is the method adopted by every
other civilized country with a modern
navy and colonial possessions. The board
will take up at its next meeting the
plans for three modern transport ships
capable Of carrying a regiment each Two
Will be recommended for the Pacific and
one fer the Atlantic. A naval officer
with regard TO this matter, said:
America is no longer a country with
out colonial possessions, and she can
never again be without a standing army
OF considerable size, which must be trans
ported to and from her possessions in the
Atlantic and the Pacific.
Hawaii will require a regiment or
more all the time. The army in the
Philippines Will be large. Perhaps
it viii be twenty or thirty thou
sand constantly for many years. 1t
viii be necessary to transfer this
army every year, or certainly
every two years. This work will be sufii-
cient 10 keep two transport ships busy
continually. The same conditions will be
present TO a less degree in Americas s
West Indies possessions
1T is the plan of the war board 10 ask
for three ships for transports immediate
". Later three more will be built If
their plans are carried out The question
whether the army or navy shall have
charge of the transportation OF troops
does not seem open 10 argument The
navy knows everything about loading and
unloading ships properly and speedily, to
say nothing OF other considerations.