New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-05

be considered In its order Wnether IL uoe' "
not cannot affect the present duty 10 niiiSn ."e
warshps begun or authorized. Inc arinor io'
Thorn must no made now, and by private in'hu
| focturers nj the market price, not some !e"i'
HANOI hv n Government factory not YET authoi-
lied. much less begun. A.,
Secre,arv Long shows that almost all 'ne
other naval nations are increasing 'neli W.
moro rapidly than the United states nus
uho hoIa that II Is not our business ana shouiu
not no our ambition 10 rival other fo"eis IA
this matter this may not seem good re'son ioi
lavino down the three armored cruisers '"o
twelve eunboats and three protecteu ciu'Sei"
recommended by the Secretary. All must au-
-. ,,,ovar that our countrys new duues
and IFS expanding foreign commerce can ioi d"
,.rnor navy than we have had. Most OF the
r.asso,s now under way were planned, not i'll
r,ou, ~ tho results OF the Spanish war, Out
s,r,n,v N At our Navy for the ordinary WORN
forescen before that war was in prospect OF 'le
nocsibi,,tv of oversee possessions contemplated
Certainly the Navy should keep pace with our
SITUATION Doubtless the designing of new shlps
urorld no facilitated by the adoption OF Secre-
+,rr Longs plans to consolidate the construc-
,,on steam engineering and equipment bureaus
under one head. Much of the trouble mtherto
moi in securing the fastest ships possible came
from the rival claims Of coordinate bureaus for
concessions to the branch of the work which
.hov s,nervised Each bureau was of course
naturally eager to make the best showing IN us
own particular line, and civilian supervision
could not harmonlze them as easily and advah-
tageously as could an expert head, who as
master of the technical side of shipbuilding'
iCh
relations with others The reform Of the mile
age law which the Secretary recommends Is
minor matter. but his attention to it reveals MS
characteristic neutrality-suspicious. and common
sense in dealing with the business details OF MS
department.
The question of rewards for the victors AZ
Santiago receives considerable attention III tne
report, and justly These men were ehiltieu
to recognition from their country when lhey
have not received. They can hardly help feel
ing that there is something ungratelui anu
tickle about this Republic, that all its enthus-
asm should go out TO those who won the nrst
battle of the war; to the neglect OF those VINO
completed the work no less brilliantly than II
was begun. The victors of Manila deserved all
they got but the victors of Santiago deserved
something, too. We think Congress might
wisely make new rule of honor promotions so
that the United States should assume the charge
for rewarding a hero instead of saddling his
increased emoluments Oh his deserving brother
officers whose promotion is unnaturally delayed
by his advancement. But at any rate Congress
ought TO do something 10 repair the omission
at the last session to recognize the merits of the
officers and men at Santiago, some of whom are
relatively worse off than before the war, owing
70 the promotions of more fortunate officers who
succeeded in reaping the reward of their good
deeds