Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-19
ITALY's NAVY IS WEAK.
Startling Disclosures Made in q Re-
port Recently Filed.

Much comment and discussion has been
aroused here by the recent declarations of
Minister Palumbo regarding the seriously
defective state of the Italian navy at pres
ent, despite the enormous expenditures Law
isbed upon it's maintenance during the last
few years.
The report of Signor Randaccio on the
balance of the navy, which has been sub
mitted to an examination on the part of the
governmental board, has shown the real
state of affairs to be even worse than it
! was thought to be. The board was so i'm
pressed by Signor Randaccio'S report that
1t has considered it duty to make a mi
mute and careful examination of each of
RandacciOs various affirmations. Although
the result of its inquest is as yet unpub-
ilshed as whole, and may be liable to
some notifications before being made pub
lie, several facts have leaked out and have
appeared in the first Italian papers as to
the effective conditions of the navy at pres
ent. For instance the following statements
OF SignOr Randaccio have been recognized
and proved by the board of examination:
The ships Saint-Bon and Hitherto (when
these two are launched and ready, Re UNI
berto, Stella and Sardegna are battle ships
hit to stand in the first line; the Andrea
Dorfa, Laura, Morosini and Dandalo
though ranking as frst-class, are not in d
condition at the present moment to be con-
Sidered as such. The Garibaldi, Varese,
and Fittor Psani (when launched and
ready are all three fine cruisers, which in
case of war could be classed with the above
would be good type of cruiser If certain
notifications and changes were made in her
armament.
ITO sum up there are seven battle ships
already in commission, more less good
another to be ready in a few months, four
more in year or eighteen months Twelve
In AID, thirteenth TO be ready in three
years, and two more in four, according to
present anDrDnria lions and orders The
well-known Dinlio, on account of the bad
state of her boilers and machinery and the
deficient and antiquated type of her arma-
Hent, is no longer fit to take part in a mod
ern fight, is she fit to be transformed
into first-class battle ship, as has been
proposed with the Dandalo. She is to be
ciassed now as coast-guard ship, for the
defense of SpcZia.
The Italia and the Lepanto, on account of
their slight armor, are not fit to stand even
against small armored vessels of slight
power. The Lepanto can still be used as
coast guard, the Italia only as a floating
battery. The Affondatore, Ancona. Maria
Pia, Castelfidardo and San Martina can
only be considered coast guards. The
Marco Polo. although an armored cruiser
cannot be classed with the ships of the first
class. All the five ships of the fourth class
and the nine of the fifth are only fit for
transports and for representatives at for
elgn stations, or else as coaSting cruisers
The ships of the sixth class cannot be used
with any advantage, and the two of the
seventh class absolutely useless.
The five torpedo boats of the first class
cannot be used in active service except with
eXtereme prudence, and of the 1873 smaller
ones belonging to the navy only so are in
good condition, and these are eleven years
! old These also could only be used in coast
defense. and the appearance of a few de-
stroyers would render them useless as we'll
OF the large ships now in course of con-
strUction the Emanuele Hitherto will be
ready shortly. the Ammiraglio Saint-Bon in
the autumn, the Vittor Pisani this month
the Garibaldi and Verese in December, the
Regina Margherita and Benedetto Brin in
the spring of 1904, the Ferruccio in Feb
ruary or March, 1902. With these facts in
hand, the position of Italy at the present
moment, among the naval powers of the
world, is certainly not a very powerful one
and much lower than it has generally been
considered. In case of but three of
| the fine ships now building could possibly
| be made available. and the defects of the
| older boats would be brought even more
| prominently into notice. Meanwhile hte
publication of the report of the board of
investigation Is awaited with interest by
the various European nations.