New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-27
THE PLEA FOR SPEED WINS.

Secretary Long has decided that fast battle
ships are better than slow ones and has taken
steps TO secure the greatest possible speed FOR
the three new vessels authorized by Congress.
To accomplish this without cancellng the adj
yertisements already made for battle-ships OF
IL knots or 16 knots, and causing trouble ana
confusion by drawing new plans in the De-
partment. he has issued n circular to bidders
saving that the ordinary course of awarding
contracts to the lowest bidder will be departed
from so far as the departure will secure guar
antees of higher speed than the Illinois type OF
design calls for. He says
The Department Will. In awarding contracts
for the construction Of Batte-ships Nos. 10. ii
and H. under It's advertisement OF the l'th OF
June last give preference. other things being
equal, to such bids as offer 10 guarantee the
highest rate OF speed and greatest coal endur-
ance, the total weights Of engines. boilers anc
coal and the spaces allowed therefor TO remain
as now fixed by the circular defining the chel
characteristics Of said vessels and the depart
ment plans and specifications. and the vessels ,J3
to have a steaming radius OF not less than D io%
knots at n speed of 10 knots an hour
This Is all that the advocates Of higher speed
than was originally provided for could desire
1t asks American shpbulders to show what
they can do In the way of speed without sacri-
fee Of armor, armament or steainihg rauius
It opens the way for incorporating In the new
ships all the latest improvements in engines
and boilers. In one respect 1t goes even inr-
Their than Commodore Mcville's proposal; Tor
instead Of positively settling the slight changes
In hull design suggested by him. 1t leaves the
whole matter to the ingenuity OF shipbullders
subject only to the restrictions as to weights
and spaces which would have been imposed on
Commodore Melville In changing hull design to
accommodate the type Of machinery selected by
him. In the face OF such request Tor speed
there is no danger that the American people
will be Inundated by the spectacle or Dattle-
ship for this country TO make 10 or III KNOTS
standing on the stocks beside one Of the same
class for Russia designed for IS knots win
the promise that the contracts will be let 10 the
men who cdh7bulld the fastest ships Of the gen
eral type rednlfed our shipbuilders VIII be en-
couraged to make special efforts, which may
give even better results than anybody has
hoped for. At any rate they Will not rest con-
tent with simply reproducing old designs. They
will be forced to make progress, not lulled to
staenation.
Secretary Long deserves credit for his open
mindedness auf mis- wise solution of the prob
lem which rPromises to secure the speed de-
sired without putting upon the CONSTRUCTION
Bureau any additional burden or rejecting on
the work already done by 1t. That this Bureau
has been conducted with ability and faithful
ness everybody knows and though progress
I'm other departments of shpbuildng may, as IN
this case make advisable some alterations In
plans which did not contemplate the use by
others of new inventions, the value OF the Con-
structlon Bureaus contribution to the perfec-
ton of the American Navy will not be MINI
mixed. At the same time it must be great
satisfaction to Commodore Melville TO have his
advanced views concerning speed receive the
Secretary's approval. The Tribune all along
has felt sure that Secretary Long would take
this view IT, in the multitude Of more immedi-
ately pressing duties, he could be led TO review
the subject Therefore when the design for
slow ships first seemed settled we took up the
question and urged a revision Of the plans. and
persistently advocated greater speed. The dis
cussjon which followed in other papers, both
general and technical. showed that public senti-
ment was also for greater speed. We rejoice
greatly over Secretary Longs action. not so
much because 1t crowns our own continued eff
forts with success as because it assures the
American people that the new ships of their
Navy will not be allowed to fall behind the new
shlps OF other nations in speed any more than
in armor, guns and men.