The San Francisco call., 1899-12-05
THE PROPOSED Naval PROGRAMME

- corning the programme OF new vessels to be
- constructed for the navy will reawaken the old
controversy over the comparative merits OF battle
ships and cruisers The Secretary, following the
recommendations OF the Naval Board of Construc-
tion requests Congress to provide for the building
of three armored cruisers OF about 1900 tons trial
displacement three protected cruisers OF about 5000
tons and twelve gunboats OF about 900 tons. 1t will
be seen that not single battle ship is asked for
The advocates OF batte-ships point to the expe-
rience OF our navy the Spanish war as an argument
for that class OF vessels The record OF the Ore
gon in her voyage around the Horn proved that the
American battle-ship, at any rate, is good sea-
going vessel and therefore can perform much OF the
duty OF a cruiser while cruiser cannot be counted
on to take the place OF batte-ship in hard fight
In fact It is asserted the United States is really
battle-shp nation, since her navy has been first to
show the world what batte-ships can do in the way
OF making long voyages and of destroying hostile
fleets and that to turn away now from the battle
ship type is to be to extent false the records
OF our own hisory
There can be question Of the soundness OF these
statements. During the Spanish war our battle
ships completely reuted the predictions OF those who
declared they would be unseaworthy and thoroughly
justified all the most sangune expectations OF their
supporters. 1t may be fairly said they overthrew
every argument urged against them and confirmed
all that had been said in their favor 1t is therefore
matter OF some surprise that neither the Board OF
Construction the Secretary of the Navy recon-
mends the building OF even as much as one at this
time
It is TO be noted, however that the cruisers pro-
posed by the programme are to be much more for
midable than the largest afoat and will hardly
be inferior to battleships In tonnage displacement
in fact they will exceed the batte-ships The largest
OF our armored cruisers now afloa the Brooklyn has
displacement OF only o2I5 fons and even the battle
ships Maine Missouri and Ohio will not equal the
proposed cruisers in that respect The Oregon for
example has displacement of but 1929 tons
against the 1900 tons OF the armored cruisers which
the Secretary recommends
The controversy over the relative merits of the
two classes OF ships is which experts will continue
to carry indefinitely. The public will be satisfied
with the judgment OF the Board of Construction and
the Secretary. The new vessels will add greatly to
our naval strength, and, while they will not carry as
heavy batteries battleships their offensive power
will nevertheless be formidable They will have great
speed and coal endurance, and their guns will be
heavier than any our cruisers have hitherto carried
The most significant feature OF the programme is the
illustration it gives OF the rapidity with which the
size of vessels is increasing When cruisers are
constructed with displacement of 13ooo tons il is
certain that the next batte-ships will have at least
5000 tons displacement and be floating fortressss
in magnitude and armament as we'll as in name