New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-26

try's wants. ana III is no ulscIcuh W "'" ''
sometimes close attention to details Dlnns HI"
as TO the direction which his efforts shouid 'ahe'
When one expert offers speed and nnother s"'S
he does not think speed of great importance
public opinion may properly manitest i'sei' anu
IL Is the duty of The Secretary or the Nav! W
secure from his technical assistants such YES
sells ms the general policy or the country ue
mands That intelligent public opinion gem
orally fnvors the faster batileships there CHI We
no doubt. On June II The Tribune took up she
subject few days later The Engineering
Ncvs" roye lis It's assistance. and since then
faster battle-shps have been advocated III every
part of the country by such papers ms ne
BROOKLYN Eagle "The Pittsbur2 Dlspa'ch'
The Washington Times" THE Minneapolis
Journal" 1.-The Louisville Courler-Jourh'i'
THE Ncw-York Mail and Express. 1.-The Brook
lyn Citizen" THE Buffalo Enquirer The TN
cinnati Commercial Tribune. The faruoru
Times" THE Marine Journal The fhllh-
delphia Inquirer" The Boston Journal Inc
Springfield Union" THE Syracuse Journal
1.-THE Philadelphia Times. 1.-The Baltimore
"American." THE Chicago Record THE New
Haven Journal" and "The Pittsburg Daily
News" No question Of party or personal reei-
ing determines this mass OF opinion The ques
ton is one OF broad National policy and 1t
is evidently everywhere felt that our Nav!
could make no worse mistake than 10 ignore
the teaching of the chase of the Spanish ships
M Santiago and the experience OF foreign
navies in building battle-shps of equal fighting
force with ours and Of vastly greater speed.
II has been conclusvely shown that battle
ships OF IS knots are possible without any
greater disbursement than that contemplated
a t.,,At hrtt 1n-s li NJ
and without sacrifice Of armor or armament
There are fifty battle-ships afioat or under con-
struction with greater speed than anything we
have OF equal fighting strength. We can build
vessels TO match them without overstepping the
limits imposed by our docks and harbors. we
are building monitors and other battleships to
meet all immediate needs either for nome de
fence or distant operations. We have learned
that the best defence Is offence, and should
build ships not merely fit for our own waters,
but suitable for the longest cruises ana nghts
with any ship in any sea. We can only DO that
with speedy vessels. As Mr.. W. Laird Cloves
saws: I'VE are told that every warship is, OF
need. n compromise But there are wise com
promises and foolish ones. The compromise
(which. in any serious degree sacrifices speed
"to guns. arnlor and magazine capacity seems
ITO me 10 belong 10 the Htter category
In our case there Is no question of sacrificing
guns armor or magazine capacity, but simply
of using the most improved type of engines and
boilers and changing the designs to accommo-
date them. That takes little time and trol-
blc but rs there Is no chance or these SHIPS
being needed In the present war, or that they
would be ready II needed, we can well afford
The time and trouble Moreover. the law re-
quires that the new ships shall have the great
est practicable speed for their class. and ID
knots is not the greatest practicable speed. as
England. France, Japan and Russia have shown
It cannot be possible that Secretary Long VIII
mar an administration which has been so brill
liant with the record Of having built three obso-
lete batte-shlps in the hour of our Nays
greatest reputation as a progressive fighting in
strument of the most progressive nation In the
world.