Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-03-17

Navy Department Means fe Get It's
Money Worth.

Washington. March 12-The United
States government has not yet ac-
CURED a single additional ship for the
navy. This is true not because Of a
lack Of offers Of warships from
abroad, but simply for the reason tina
the new navy department is proceed
ing with all of the eircumspection con-
sistent with the needs Of the case in
looking after the qualities and prices
of the craft There is a strong dispo-
sition 10 refrain from being drawn
into bad bargains and to insist on get
ting good vessels at prices not ex-
~tortionate- Secretary Long was in re-
ceipt of a large number of cablegrams.
almost all relating TO offers of ships.
Lieut.. NIbiaek, the United States
naval attache at Berlin. st. Peters
burg and vienna, is particularly active
IN the quest for vessels. There was a
good deal Of talk during the day about
the assignment of officers 10 the com.
mand of auxiliary cruisers. the ST.
Paui and st. Louis being specially
mentioned but Secretary Long set
these stories at rest by the item
n he had not made any such as
signnients and had only progressed TO
the point Of informing himself of the
possibility Of getting the ships Of
1cered and manned quickly.
While looking after new ships the
of1cials of the navy department are
not negiecting old vessels. and ar.
engagements have been made
To Wake Short Repairs
en- several ships, that in the ordinary
course would not be treated in that
fashion. but would receive a thorough
and time-consuming o~verhauIing.
Thus in the case of the Philadelphia.
which has had five years hard work
and has never yet been lone over as
is the custom, orders have gone to
Mare Island 70 put her in shape for
sea within forty days. The Yorktown.
az y same yar't. is not 70 be touched
M present. not only because She is
IN fair condition. but also because
she IS not so formids bic q craft rs to
make IL desirable 70 divert 10 her re-
pair attention required elsewhere. Al
Norfolk the Newark is set down for
thirty days repairs. and as a good
deal of work has already been done
on her she will be almost a new shin
when she comes out Of the ward. The
big monitor Puritan has practically
completed her repairs. The monitor
Con ancle AT Mare Island has been ex-
amined and found in tolerable condi-
ton.
Al League Island the MOI itor Nian-
tonomoh and the ram Katahdin went
into commission yesterday. althourh
they have not vet had their orders.
They probably will remain | in the Del
aware river or drop down into the
bay The torpedo boat Dupont sailed
from Mobile TO attach herself again
10 h ffotilla at Key West. Again IL
was said ut the navy department that
nothing had been heard from
The Court of Inquiry
M Havana nor from Admiral Sicard
nj Key West The presence In tho civ
or several persons connected with
steamship lines and steel works led IA
the circulation Of q number of sepsa-
tiorai stories during the day. but per-
maps none OF these had the persis-
tency OF one that found currency at
the capitol. until II met with n sum-
mary denial 1T the hends of Assistant
secretary Day, 10 the effect that Min.
ister woodford had notified the Span
ISM government that the president in
teAded TO send to congress n message
am ouncing his recognition of Cuban
ind pendenee.
A conference was held in the ONCE
OF Assistant Secretary Roosevelt IN
inap out plans for arming and eou;p-
piHE merchant vessels as auxiliary
rrnisers. Mr.. Roosevelt presided ana
owners present were capt. Grvw5s-
shield. OF the bureau OF nsyigation:
Capt O'Neill. Of the bureau Of ORC.
nance; Chief Hichborn. OF the burear
or construction. and Commander Brad
ford. of l. bureau OF yards and docks
ibis meeting had been preceded by A
call from President Griscom. OF the
International Navigation
which owns the our ships. ST. Louis.
~. Paul, Paris and New York. TIE
board meeting brought oct a general
uaiSe2SSioE OF the work the various