The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-01-23
The Naval Strength Of the Powers.


a parliamentary paper just issued
gives the fleets Of tae various great
powers and distinguishes the types
OF vessels built and building. At the
same time 1t explains, without men
tiOnlng the fact, why it IS that no
power has so far undertaken to inter
fore with the sending of 10000
troops to South Africa, or has con
cluded to invade England while
denuded of these troops. The list
OF ships credits Eogland with 53
completed battlesnips; II armored
cruisers, l07 protected " cruisers,
lj unprotected cruisers, l3 coast-de-
Tense vessels, 80 torpedo vessels, 70
torpedo boat destroyers and 06 tor.
pedo boats. The list of British ships
classed as now building embraces II
b4ttleships, Ii armored cruisers, 9
protected cruisers and 33 torpedo
boat destroyers. The aggregate Of
bsttleshlps built and" building"
is 70, or If armored cruisers are reck-
oned together with the batteships-
they are often larger and equally
elIicient-the fighting line contains
l0l ships.
France has built" 81 bsttlesbips,
S armored cruisers, 50 protected "
cruisers, II unprotected cruisers, ii
coastdefense vessels, special yes.
sci, submarine boats, - torpedo
vessels, torpedo boat destrOyers and
30 torpedo boats. The list of yes
scls baildiug" is ~ follows Bat.
Il ships, / armored cruisers, II;
protected cruisers, / torpedo boat
dostroyers, l0 torpedo boats, AZ
submarine boats, g. No other power
has any submarine boats built or
building. Russia has " built" -
batlleshlps. 10 armored cruisers, 3
protected cruisers, 3 unprotected
cruisers, ID cosst-defense vessels, 3
special vessels, II torpedo vessels, !
tcrpedo.boat destroyer and Ia tor
bedo boats. The vessels building for
Russia are y battleships, 2 srmored
cruisers, 5 protected cruisers, coast
defense vessel, 2 special vessels, 80
torpedo boat destroyers and 6 torpedo
boats.
Germany has of completed battle.
ships IS, armored cruisers 3, protect
ed cruisers Is, unprotected cruisers
2l, coast-defense vessels IL, special
vessels 3, torpedo vessels ,, torpedo.
boat destroyers l, torpedo boats ll3
Sle has building Z battleships, 2
armored cruisers, protected cruisers
aud 9 torpedo boat destroyers.
The United States is credited with
) oattleships built and IL building, ,
armored cruisers built and 3 building.
II protected cruisers built and I
building, unprotected cruisers, ~
coast-defense vessels built and 1
building, special vessel, | torpedo
boat destroyer built and 10 building,
IS torpedo boats built and II build
ipg.
Japan is notably weaker at sea than
she is usually supposed to be, having
but 3 completed battleships aud +
building, armored cruisers built and
/ building, IA protected cruisers built
and > building, 9 unprotected cruls
ers, / coast defense vessels, l torpedo
vessel, torpedo boat destroyers
built and building and 30 torpedo
boats built and 30 building.
In making the above classification
1t was sought to take account of
srmor, speed and other features that
determine efficiency. 1t is apparent
that the 1872 completed British battle.
ships aud cruisers, to say nothing of
other classes of vessels, give England
certain preponderance at sea.
France has an aggregate of SO battle
ships and cruisers, Russia Is and
Germany So. All three powers taken
together have 172 battleships and
cruisers, or 20 less than England. In
certain contingencies the fee of
Italy and Japan-whatever they may
DO worth-may be counted with the
British, but without them the pre-
ponderance at sea is unmistskable.
The lists of vessels building in the
shipyards of the various powers do
not promise an early change of the
situation. Germany, Russia and
France are about to enlarge their
building program, but it is Eng glands
policy to keep up with her rivals.