The age-herald., 1900-04-06
$500,000 Set Aside For a Con-
 tingency Fund.
THE MAXIMUM COST OF SHIPS
Exclusive of Armor and Armament Wil' Be $2S,35o,OOO-N Naval Academy Items Aggregate $677 ,560-
 New Cadet Quarters

| Washington, April 5.-The naval appro-
 priation bill was today reported to the
 house by Acting Chairman Foss, of the
 naval committee. The amount carried by l the bill is s61 ,916, the largest ever re-
 ported to the house from the naval com- mittee
 | Aside from this the report which accom- | panies the bill is remarkable for it's ar- | ray of facts regarding sea power the world | over foreign naval programmes and the
 compara tive strength of the navies of the l great maritime powers, accompanied by l colored charts showing the upbuildng of 1 the various great navies.
 Under the head of naval programmed
 the report sets forth as follows as to new
 ships:
 For the purpose of further increasing l the naval establishment of the United States the committee recommends that the l president be authorized to have built by
 contract two sea-going coast line battle- ships, carrying tine heaviest armour and
 most powerful ordinace for vessels of their
 class upon a trial displacement of about
 13,5OO tons, and to have the highest prac- | ticable speed and great radius of action.
 and to cost exclusive of armor and arma-
 
 armored cruisers of about 13,OOO tons trial | displacement carrying the heaviest armor | and most powerful ordinace for vessels of 1 their class, and to have the highest practi- l cal speed and great radius Of action, ana 1 to cost exclusive of armament and armor,
 not exceeding s4,250,O00 each, and three pro- tected cruisers of about 5000 tons trial dis placement, carrying the most powerful or dinance for vessels of their class, and to
 have the highest speed compatible with cruising qualities and great radius of ac- ton, and to cost exclusive of armament, not exceeding $2,S00,O00 each. Maximum Cost of ships Continuing, the report says:
 "The maximum cost of the ships herein authorized exclusive of armor and arma- ment, will be BPS, ,35O, ,00O This is the largest naval programme ever submitted by the | committee on naval affairs of the house and is in accord with the wishes and rec | concentrations of the secretary of the navy | and of Admiral Dewey, and will, We e. | lieve, meet the just demands of public senti- | ment. The past year in naval eonstruc- | l.Cn has been marked by the most liberal | programmes the part of all foreign na- | tons. At the present time there is pend- - ing in the rebchstag of Germany a naval bill, which, if passed, will increase the tonnage of the present German navy i22 900 tons, larger tonnage than that oG her present navy"
 As to the armor plate, the report tells of the futile efforts to secure armor at $ov- and s4OO, and says
 "The battleehips Maine, Ohio and Mis- | souri, now in process of cons struction, re- l qulre 7,359.42 tons of armor, 2,45314 tons
 for each vessel. It Is believed by the com mittee that these battleshps, of nearly i l3,0OO tons displacement, tie largest ln de- l sign which have ever been planned by tho
 navy department, should have the best ob- l tainai5le armor, and accordingly your com mittee recommends that i;lle secretary of i the navy be authorized to contract for 1 such armor at d cost not to succeed $545 | per ton. The best obtainable at the ! present time is according to all naval au- thorlties, the so-called Krupp armor, which is, at least, and has been so proved 1 by ballastlc tests of 9 per cent greater l efficiency than that of the Haryeyized ar- ] nor. Every nation in the world is using ! the Krupp armor today Your committee
 believe that 1t is little short of disloyalty i to recommend any other than the best pro-
 lection and the best armor for these bat 1 tleship5 to be placed between the bodies l of our officers and men and the bullets of l the enemy"
 ihe Contingency Fund l The more important items in the bill in
 addition to those given are: Contingency fund necessary to meet emer- gencies constantly arising in view of the unsettled conditions in our insular posses-
 sions, to be expended in the discretion of
 the president, $500 900; ordnance, $1 705 800:
 equipping vessels, $2,6OO,OOO; surveys and
 coaling stations in insular possessions.
 s1OOooo. The pubic works at various points
 under the bureau of yards and docks re-
 ceived amounts as follows:
 Portsmouth.... ........ ...... ........$ 316,O00
 Boston,. ...... ..... S66 300
 New york;. ......... 300, 200
 League Island. .............. 939,500
 Washlngton. ...... ........ 414,102
 Norfolk. .... ............. 466.5O0
 Port Royal....... ...... ...... ...... 2270OO
 Key West... ........ ..... ..... 97,000
 san Juan........ ...... ...... .......... 52.0O0
 Pensacola. ...... .... ...... ..... $500
 AIoiar