The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-09-30
NAVALGR0WTH
IS WONDERFUL
Increased Almost TwO-Thlrd In
Short Space Of Time.
UNITED STATES RANKS THIRD
Excelled Only by Great Britain
and Fnnce---Our Ships Su.
perlOr 10 Any AGOat.
Tho Marine Reylew

Tho Marine Review,
Tho greatest hero In the naval his
tory OF America returns from the VIC
tory that won him fame TO mad the
navy OF his country. AZ the end OF
tho iirSt epoch Of development which.
for rapldity ot growth and scope IL
without a parallel among the nations
of the earth. In the comparatively
brief space of time since Admiral Dew
ey departed from this country for the
Orient. the tangible effective naval
strength of the United States has in
creased almost one-third. Much OF
the Increase. Il 10 true. was neocsHitat-
ed by the exigenoies of n suddenly pre-
cipilRted war The conflict. short In
duration, would have been OF inestIma-
bic benefit had the result been nothing
morc than tho arousal " general pub.
lie Interest In the growth and welfare
of the navy. 80 strEingly portrayed by
the addition since made 10 our lighting
strength upon the water.
To all lntents and purposes. the Unit
cd States II now the third naval power
OF the world Germany n u ylgilant.
active aggressive rival. whose energy
In this direction. constantly tos,ered
by ruling power may be expected TO
lnorrasc rather than diminish. Japan,
the coming commercial power Of the
other hemisphere. Is annihllating with
giant strides the msdicum OF our SUI
premacy, iiut for all that. the United
states Will continue. for some time at
least. to be oxcelled aN a naval power
only by Great Britain and France,
The full strength Of the navy u the
United states now amounts 10 5i2 ves-
sois " all kinds. built and building.
OF this number lSs are In the regular
navy and i2s constitute the auxiliary
force. for the accumulation c. which we
arc largely Indebted 20 the necessities
ot the spanish war. Some
thing OF the pace at which We are NOV
ing forward may b. imagined when I,
Ia stated that. roughly estimated, the
existing naval fleet represents an ex'
pendituru for construction OF about
N2S. 0OO.OV0. and yet there are now un'
der construction or awaiting formal &C.
ceptanco by the government more thar
half hundred war vessels. the con-
tract price for which. exclusive Of ar
NOR aud armament, is In the nelghbor'
hood OF No,OOoOOo
The war almost doubled the aggre'
gate or men on our war vessels, Al
It's outset the complement was 1886
men. but Ia the summer OF 1898 Il
reached the maximum ngure OF 2tl21
men, Since that time Il has, OF course
decreased considerably, but the incom'
ing congress Is expected to authorize
permanent naval strength Of upwards
Of 10000 men, Nor in passing should
mention be omitted Of the success
which has attended the amalgambtlon
OF the line and staff An expeanent
watched by students Of naval admins
tratlon everywhere, It's beneficial ef'
fecls have been dlsoernlble instantan'
eously.
For the future bright hopes may b'
based upon the most favorable OF In
dicatIons. Congressman have beer
spending the summer OF 1899 In the
study OF naval science abroad. Places
ON tho naval committee have beer
eagerly sought, Already new atmos
phere OF llberallty and lntelllgenc,
oharaoterlAes the consideration OF ma
val problems. and affords grouDd fo
hone that never again win the marcl
OF progress be retarded by such a lacl
of knowledge MS made possible the lat
flasco relative to the limitation OF ar
NOR prices.
: New battleshlps and protected crul
sers are TO be constructed, Fac
class is quite certain to marx a ste
forward In the science OF building
vessels OF war, Rear Admiral Georg
w. Melville declares to the Reviey
that the new battleshlps should be o
20 knots speed; that they should carr
large batteries OF rapid fire guns; hav
ample coal bunker capacity ase be nj
ted with triple screw=-radioei revo
lutlonary measures all, but vital in in
nucnce II successful.
Already the eyes Of every naval of
0 Ger across the Atlantic are upon III
/ Within the past month two Of our ne'
/ battleshlps have exceeded Sontrac
) speed. The praoticablllty Of that mos
Y novel Of ldeas--the superinduced tuI
: rets OF the Kearsearge-wlll soon b
nut to the test, We are preparing
= outdo the British In the thoroughnes
Of our experiments with liquid fut
and wireless telegraphy. Finally W
are investigating the possibilities Of tn
submarine boat, and our conclusion
win have enchanced value becaus
they will be characterized by neitht
the enthusiastic optimism of tn
French nor the cyniclsm of the cor
servatlve Britons.
For well-rounded naval developmer
every essential must be adequate. Th'
there is no greater cause for oSngrat'
lation than over the manner in white
the ship yards Of America have m
the requirements imposed by the col
ditions. The past few years have see