The herald., 1898-03-10
BULLIN0 The MARKET
IN HOPE no MAKE SALES OF
BATTLEsHIPs
BRoWNsoN TO INVESTIGATE
He Nay Buy Cruisers but the Euro
psan Builders Won't Sell Him
Any Trash
Associated Press specla. wire

Associated Press Special Wire
PHILADELPHIA. March 9.-Charles
H. Cramp. head of the great ship build
ing firm, says there is deliberate at
tempt under way to frighten the United
States into buying ships 1t does not need
and could not use. He said:
"This clamor about buying warships
abroad is all instigated by syndicate
of adventurers. who are trying to get big
commissions by helping English and
German ship-builders to unload on the
United States a number Of unsaleable
vessels which they have built, either on
speculation or under contracts with va
rious second-rate powers that are not
able to pay for them. Such syndicates
are always formed at the beginning Of
all threatened wars.
Briefly, this scheme is a conspiracy
on the part of certain shipping operators
in this country and England to take adj
vantage Of the existing situation to
force the hand Of Congress- and the ad-
ministration."
WON'T BUY TRASH
NEW YORK, March 9.-Commander
Brownson, u. s. NJ, sailed for South
ampton ON the American Line steamer
st. Paul today. He said to reporter:
II am going to England under orders
directly of the Navy Department. not
from the President. My mission Is to
prepare for the exigencies of the situa-
tion and to see what can be had and
what can be done In case of war, the
possibilities of which think are very
remote. The vote Of $50, 900. 900 shows our
readiness to enter upon vigorous prepa-
rations, and that, in itself, will have th1
effect Of making war unlikely. I may
be absent q month and perhaps longer.
expect to be two weeks in London but
cannot tell where shall go after leav-
ing England
Commander Brownson was asked
whether he intended visiting the yards
OF Yarrow, the big British torpedo boat
builder. He did not answer directly but
gave the impression that he would look
at everything in the line Of purchaseable
war craft.
The Commanders attention was called
to the published statements that for
eign shipbuiIders are trying to sell their
poorer stock to the United States.
"You may rest assured" said he, "that
they won't sell me any trash.'
Chas. H. Cramp. the shipbuilder. also
sailed on the ST. Paul. He was going
abroad, he said. on a business trip.
MONEY FOR SHIPS
NEW YORK, March GA special to
the Herald from Washington says: ut
is known that the authorities expect to
spend $15.000.000 or $40. 900 in pur-
chasing ships, II such sum can be spent
judiciously and to the advantage Of this
government Secretary Long admitted
that he has list of vessels prepared
which Commander Brownson will in
spect particularly and which this gov
ernment hopes to acquire, but he de-
clined to make 1t public"
DEFINITE OFFERS MADE
LONDON, March s.--The indications
are that the United States government
will not wait for the arrival here Of Com
mander Willard H. Brownson, in order
to purchase warships. Definite offers
have already been made for ships build
ing here with the view Of forestalling
Spain, who Is supposed to be bargaining
for the same vessels.
SPANISH EFFORTS
NEW YORK, March 9-The New York
correspondent saw in the House of Com
mons lobby the head of one Of the larg-
est and best-known shipbuilding firms
on the Clyde, who said:
II know positively that Spain Is hunt
ing not only for cruisers but for eight
fast steamships, which are to be con-
verted into unarmored cruisers and flt-
ted with Quick-f1ring guns.
'She has been on the lookout for ves-
sells for several weeks, but the difficulty,
Of course. is lack Of money. No British
shipbuilder would permit her to remove
any craft without prepayment in full.
II have also just heard that her con-
templated purchases. which have been
hanging fire for financial reasons, are
about being completed, as the Spanish
government has made arrangements
for loan through Fould's Bank of
Paris with French syndicate. Senti-
ment as well as self-interest prompts
France to assist Spain against the
United States, and France is the only
European country where Spain stands
the slightest chance Of obtaining finan-
cial help
The Member Of Parliament who made
this statement asked that his name be
not given, his firms having dealings with
the Spanish government. He added: II
consider that the United States will find
Spain a hard nut to crack. have had
large experience with Spanish sailors
and regard them as first-rate seamen.
They are hardy, courageous and ex-'|
tremely clever navigators, but they are
badly officered. Their country Is desti-
tute Of resources. while the resources of
the United States are practically limit
less. Your country IL bound to win in the
long run. but It will be no rose water az
fair for your navy"
Another report current in the lobby
was that the United States government
had offered 100000 for Captain Mccall
monts famous steam yacht Giralda. She
steams 20 knots, has a displacement of
14S0 tons and is fitted under the require
ments of the British navy for use in
time OF war as an unarmored cruiser,
She has ten machine guns. She is at
present at Algiers. ana Il ID. stated that
the ofrer Of the United states govern
ment ID conditional on her being hand.
ed over at Gibraltar within fifteen days.
She is obviously wanted az e dispatch
boat, II at all.
NOT YET BOUGHT
WASHINGTON. March o-The ad-
ministration has definite Information
from q source regarded a. beyond ouer-
tion, that Spain has not purchased the