The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-12
Building Warships Here.

4
OF warship construction Is to be COM
| mended. 1t Is only fair that the Pacific
coast be allowed a. reasonable portion of
| the shipbuilding work Of the govern
ment. and the argument set forth in the
communication of the Chamber of Com
merce should commend itself to those
upon whom the determination of the
matter rests.
| Leaving out Of consideration for the
| moment the matter OF alleged increase
| in cost, there is every reason why the
| sbipbuilding industry should be fosterej
on the Western coast. Here is Sec
| ton growing In population. wealth and
| Importance. It's cities have reached a
very considerable size and new people
| are fiocking to all Of them. Immense
| areas of land have been taken up. and
the soil is producing abundantly.
Exports are increasing. business Is
expanding, and in a commercial way
the entire slope west OF the Rocky
active and prosperous regions in all the
land.
1t faces the Pacific, which recent de-
velopments have marked as the future
highway nfan immense commerce. The
coasting trade has already grown to
large proportions, but our dealings with
the Pacific islands and the Orient have
practically just begun. All eyes are
turned In this direction, however, and
the first steps are being taken for OPEN
ing commercial relations which will re-
suit In building up a trade OF the high
est Importance to the country. The fu-
ture increase in American commerce
will be on the Pacific.
Under these circumstances it is vi
tally essential that this Coast be pro-
vided with facilities for naval defense
through ship construction. Every effort
| should be made TO foster the enter
| prise here, in order that work for the
government may be done where II Is
needed. The Coast should have within
itself the means to provide partially for
the wants OF the Pacific which some day
may be urgent. This will be the scene
of great commercial and naval activi-
ties, and to be able to meet the needs
| OF the future Is a matter of supreme i'm
portance.
Hitherto the government has admitted
the ACCESSIBILITY OF having warships built
| on the Coast. and when the contracts
for several vessels have been let. It has
been agreed that at least one should be
allowed to Pacific coast yards. As a re-
| suit, some OF the finest specimens Of
naval architecture now in commission
are cruisers, battleships, monitors and
| torpedo boats built on the Coast. It
has been demonstrated that they can
be constructed here with workmanship
that can be excelled nowhere else in the
world. and 1t now remains TO show the
government that present conditions and
future prospects warrant larger allot-
| ment OF building contracts to this Sec
ton.
IL has been customary in some cases
In the past TO allow differential In ia
vor of the Pacific coast builder, owing
| 10 the increase In cost by reason of long
| tial is what IL IL desired to maintain IN
| order that future vessels destined for
service In these waters may be con-
structed here, thus building up Coast
yards. obviRting the necessity of trips
around the Horn and making this the
seat Of naval and merchant ship con-
s,ruetlon such as the development Of
Pacific commerce win demand.
II means no loss TO the government \
warship built for the Pacific service in
a Coast yard will. when I'm commission
| and al her station. cost no more than
one built on the Delaware and brought
! around South America at great expense.
As a matter Of face. construction OF vas-
sells for The Pacific coast and Asla,ic
service in Coast yards would probably
result in saving to the treasury. but
/ this Is matter which should be made
secondary 10 the more Imperative neces-
sity Of providing the Coast with Sde-
quate ship yards in which may be con
stricted the Pacific merchant carriers
and the naval ships which are % protect
these carriers and the ports to and from
which they ssm
( The olG-ume Democrat, who "a sick
and tired Of seeing his cid party showed
hack and forth and thrust into all sorts
af rs,rl hsrlAth,r2 uStb nofs.t..t -ssy -