New-York tribune., 1899-01-15
PEACE AND WAR.

Peace talk continues and the date Of the
Cars disarmament conference approaches, but
there is no cessation nor slackening Of prepara
tons for war. On the contrary, increase Of
armaments continues at an appalling rate, and
Is most marked In the very country whose
sovereign has called for peace, and In Its ally.
Or perhaps It Is actually greater in one other
country though less conspicuous; Of which we
shall see more hereafter The two nations
which are most. and much above all others,
burdenng themselves with warlike preparations
are Russia and France.
The former Is not only enlargng her army,
but Is adding to her navy at a feverish pace. as
though word-war were Just at hand. All
that is being done in Russian dockyards and
ArsenalS Is not known to the outside world. but
what Is known Is significant. The construction
programme now entered upon comprises eight
of the largest and most effective battle-ships in
the world, ten cruisers and twenty-five destroy
ers Four of the battle-ships are well under
way and the other four have been begun. They
are to be Of from 12500 to 1900 tons each,
to make at least 1S knots, and TO carry four
12-inch. ten or twelve 6-inch and from twenty
FIVE to thirty smaller guns. Six of the cruisers
will be of from 6OO0 to 5000 tons, of at least
81 knots speed, and carry each two S-inch' eight
Gnch and twenty smaller guns. The other
four will be Of 5000 tons, of al least % knots,
and each will carry six G-inch and perhaps
twenty smaller guns. The destroyers are to be
of % knots speed. All these vessels are TO be
In commission within five years and most OF
them will be before the end Of the century. lf
she present programme alone Is executed there
fore-and il Is likely to be enlarged greatly from
year to year-the Cars navy will in 1903 be
tust about twice as powerful as 1t Is to-day.
Turning now to France we find her appro-
priatng more than $50 900 900 for her navy. of
which more than q third Is for construction,
this year She has at this moment sxty-three
War-craft on the stocks and before spring the
number will be increased TO ninety-One while
by next fall no less than thirty eight of them
will be finished and put into commission. -Four
big battle ships are now building and fifth Is
TO be begun this year. and one OF them Is TO
be completed this year Eleven big armored
cruisers are building, two more are to be be-
gun. and one is to be finished this year. -Four
other cruisers In hand, two more are TO be
begun and three are 10 be finished. The others
comprise destroyers, torpedoboats and subma-
rlne boats: ten OF the first fiftyhve Of the sec
ond and eight OF the third are now In hand or
to be begun this year, and eight Of the first,
twenty-three Of the second and one OF the third
are to be completed and put into commission
next fall The speed Of the battles ships Is to
be at least IS knots of the armored cruisers 81
knots and Of the other cruisers 23 knots. The
destroyers and torpedo-boats are to be as SWIFT
as the swiftcst in the world.
The submarine vessels will be novelty.
Two have already been built and used expert
mentally. and the naval authorities are enthusi-
rl,.t- ,,,ftor fc Eart
secret. but it is known that their motive power
IS electricity One, the Gustave Zede, was tried
of Toulon 1t attacked the batte-ship Magenta
and struck her twice with dummy torpedoes.
once when the Magenta was at anchor and the
Gustave Zede was moving swiftly and once
when the battle-shp was going at full speed and
the other was lying stationary. awaiting her
passage The men on the Magenta were utterly
unable TO perceive their assaant while those
on the Gustave Zede could with ease the
Magenta and all other objects for mile or
more around 1t is understood that the sub
marine boats to be built this year will each
have a displacement of 1O6 tons, and be 9s
feet long and 12iA feet wide, have engines Of
2l7 horsepower. carry four torpedo-tubes and
he managed by two officers and nine men.
While navigating on the surface steam-power
will be used Under water electricity will be
used. And boat will be able TO recharge It's
electric storage batteries by coming TO the sur
face and nsng rs steamenglnes. The boats
are 10 cost less than S130.OOO each.
Such are the war preparations Of these two
peacc-proclliming Powers. The one Power that
Is seriously concerned In matching them IL
Grent Britain. She means TO keep pace with
both OF them put together, and she seems TO be
doing IT, At the present moment she has In
hand nine Hrst-class battle ships, some Of them