The Meeker herald., 1898-03-12
MAY BUY wAHsHlPs ABROAD
The Navy Department Said to Hsvs Rera
Ordered to Open NegosiatioaA

l
New York. March IA special to
the Herald from Washington says:
Fully realizing the Importance Of
preparations for any emergency, the
President has directed the Navy De
partment to open negotiations lookiu.
to the purchase OF warships. This fact
is how for the first time made public.
1t probably would not have transpired
at this juncture. but for the excite
ment caused by the statement null.
lished that Spain had purchased OF
was negotiating for warships being
built by the Elswick Company of Eng
land for Brazil, and for other ships
under construction. With view OF OH
| tainfng the facts, your correspondent
| called upon high official OF the nd
| mlnistrntion and obtained an official
| admission for the first time that while
the President does not anticipate war
| he recognizes that there is n possbjl-
| ity Of hOstilities growing out of the
Cuban problem and the Maine disas-
| ter, and that he proposes to be pre-
pared for it.
There has been ample evidence of
this in the preparations patent to
everybody. which have been in prog
| ress for some time, but there has been
| no official admission to this effect until
now
Eight men-of-war which are practic-
ally completed In foreign shipyards
have been offered for sale in the Unit
ed States. The President has given
consideration to the advisability of
placing an option on them.
The Navy Department has been care
fully watching the construction abroad
through the eyes of It's naval attaches
at London. Paris, st. Petersburg, Ber-
lin, Vienna and Rome. This surveil-
lance has been maintained for two
months. but more especially since the
Maine disaster.
Through the attaches and from the
shiphuilders themselves. the secretary
of the navy has learned that he can
now purchase two small-sizetl battle
ships two arnored cruisers and four
torpedo boats, all at comparatively
low price. The builders have promised
that they can deliver the vessels to
agents of this government at this time
complete in every respect. and all that
will he necessary for the administra-
tion 10 do will be to order the neces-
sary details OF officers and men to pre-
ceed to the ship yard, to go on board
the vessels and take them to any point
which may be desired.
The builders have urged that the
purchases be made at once, ~ they
say that a declaration of war between
the United States would result in the
enforcement of neutrality measures
and prevent the ~nle' OF the ships.
The battleships ana armored crtlsers
have been built by English and Ger
man firms for governments which are
now unable to pay for them. and now
this government would be able to OBJ
tain the vessels by simply putting
down the amount of cash The four
torpedo boats have been offered by the
Thorncroft Ship Building Company,
whose boats are recognized by experts
to be among the best In the world.
While your correspondent was unable
to learn the names OF the ships which
have been offered to this government,
there is reason to believe that among
them are three powerful ships under
construction mt the Vulcan works, Stet-
tin. Germany. for the Chinese govern
ment. These ships are OF 5000 tons
displacement contracted to make 1913
knots, and will be able to carry not
less than thousand tons Of coal In
their bunkers