The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-06-16

Ved0 vessels, 00 tOrped O-bOat DESTROY
ers, 98 torpedo boats; total of al
classes, 3S2. France stands next will
a7 battle ships, armored cruisers. 81
/ proteeted cruisers, 16 unprotected
cruisers, IA armored coast-defens,
vessels, special vessel, s torpedo
vessels, 211 torpedo boats. Russis
has ~ battle ships, 10 armored crui
sers, 8 protected cruisers, unpro
tected cruisers, Is armored coast-de
Tense vessels, special vessels, II tor
pedo vessels, l torpedO-bo destroyer
ia torpedo boats. Germany rank,
next with 15'battle ships, 8 armored
cruisers, 2 protected cruisers. q un
protected cruisers, II armored coast
defense vessels, special vessel 2 tor
pedo vessels, 113 torpedo boats. Italy
numbers Is battle ships, armored
.ssz.sIisers. 10 protected cruisers, l un-
projected cruiser, . special vessels
Is torpedo vessels, 142 torpedo boats
The United States is credited with {
battle ships, armored cruisers, Il
protected cruisers, 10 unprotected
cruisers, 20 armored coast defense
vessels, l special vessel, torpedo
boats. Japan has battle ships, /
armored cruiser, 10 protected cruisers,
s unprotected cruisers, armored
coast-defense vessels, l torpedo vessel
and A torpedo boats.
Comparing the strength of these
navies it will be noted that, excluding
torpedo boats, England has 2S4 YES
sells, France 10, Russia 6G, Germany
SO. England has more vessels than
France, Russia and Germany all put
together. Of battle ships England
has nearly as many as all three to-
gether. If torpedo boats are counted,
all excel England except the United
States and Japan. The English con
slider the torpedo boat a weapon of
offense and their role is to attack. In
view OF the greater aptitude of the
English for naval affairs, they would
be able, it seems, to hold their own at
sea against France, Russia and Ger
many combined.
As respects vessels now building,
the English lead with II battle ships.
armored cruisers, "a protected crui-
sers and As torpedo boat destroyers.
France comes next with S battle
ships, 10 armored cruisers, 10 protect
ed cruisers, 2 torpedo vessels, s tor
pedo-boat destroyers and 3S torpedo
boats. Russia is building battle
ships l armored cruiser, protected
cruisers, arinored coast-defense YES
sci and % thrpedo-boat destroyers.
Germany has in progress battle
ships, 2 armored cruisers, protected
cruisers, torpedo-boat destroyer and
8 torpedo boats. Italy is building
battle ships, armored cruisers, 3
protected cruisers, 1 torpedo boat de-
stroyer and torpedo boats. The
United States is building s battle
ships, protected cruiser 20 torpedo
boat destroyers and % torpedo boats.
Japan has in progress 3 battleships,
armored cruisers. protected crui-
sers, unprotected cruiser, torpedo
boat destroyers and 10 torpedo boats
AS respects the United States, these
figures of March 31st are, of course,
obsolete. Many vessels of more or
less efficiency have been added to our
list since that date. France and Rus
sia together are building more battle
ships than England is, so that En-
gland is to some extent losing her
lead in that type of vessel. OF battle
ships and cruisers together, England
is building 80, as against 80 being
built by France and Russia together.
The excuse made by the British gov
ernment for not building more vessels
is that they are now building as many
as they have yards for and will get
their vessels done before their rivals
complete those they have in hand. A
survey of the whole list of vessels
built and building shows us that the
strength of the United States at sea,
even including recent acquisitions is
comparatively slight.