The sun., 1898-06-19
ARMED CRUISERS.
The Question of Naval Efficiency One
of National Life and
Death.

The modern warship is the most cos
mopolitan product of this essentially
cosmopolitan age Except for few
minor characteristics, which may tenn.
porarily distinguish the ships OF one
nation from those OF the rest of the
world, there are no broad international
differences in naval construction such a.
we find in the other. great branches OF
industry.
:! he reason is not far to seek. 1t is to
he found in the fact that each great naval
power realizes that il must not on y have
many ships, but the ships must be the
very best possible. The question OF naval
efficiency is a question OF national life
and death, and no sentimental objections
are now allowed for moment to prevent
nation from initiating It's neghbors
and rivals in the construction of the
latest types Of ships, guns and armor.
Occasionally, in former years, Il nation
held on to some inferior and obsolete
practice rather than follow the lead OF
its more progressive rivals, as when some
wears ago England continued to build
nuzzle-loading guns when other nations
were adopting the breech-loader and
France at later dav refused for some
years to follow England's example in
the building OF rapid fire weapons; but
such conservatism has always cost the
nations dearly and has n suited in the
conveyance of much costly material to
the scrap heap.
Hence it has come to pass that the
publication of each years naval programs
of construction is an event looked for
with profound interest by naval con-
str,ctOrs, inasmuch as these programs
show concIrlsively what is the majority
opinion as regards he best type OF ships
to build.
We have taken occasion to read care
fully through the lists of the worlds
navics and note what is the general char
actcr of the ships which have lately been
built or are under construction or are an.
thnriznd To be bnit, and we are I'M
pressed with the fact that the coming
warShip will be Of Il type between the
battlrship and the swift arnl,reu cruiser,
Il vessel with heavy battery, medium
armored protection, high speed and ex-
ceptionally large coal supply.
Two tendencies are noticeable, each Of
which W. as a natl N should take special
note Of. The first is the disposition to
hnild armoreh cruisers instead If the
protected type, the other is the very high
speed which is being given 10 batt'eships
a spced which in many cases giv,> to the
battlrship all the advantages claimed for
the armorcd cruiser
The following is ii statement of the ar
nored cruisers hdiIt or building in eacu
navy. We have included no ships Of h,--
than Is knots speed, and it will b" M
tced that it is only the older ships that
are as slow as this; the later cruisers be-
ing of 20 knots speed or ov r. Ii the
British navy there are seven arnorel
cruisers OF the Australia type, of 5000
tons and over Is knots speed, with bel,
OF lO.inch arnor. and an armament Of
two 0.2incl and ten 4 inch rapidtire
guns The normal coal capacity is 800
tons. There are also under construction
four armored cruisers OF $1,000 tons, u
knots, 500 tons al supply; they will
have a 6-inch ;m t and 6-inch protection
for the guns. and an armament OF two
9.2-inch and twelve 6-inch rapid-fre
guns.
The Argentine Republic possesses two
armored cruisers, the Garibaldi and the
San Martino, which are sister ships to