The sun., 1900-04-06
NAVAL APPROPRIATION
Bill Reported 10 the House by Chair
man Foss.
IT CALLS FOR $el,2l9,9l6.
Report Accompanying the Measure
Gives In Detail the UpbuiIding
of the Great Nnvies of
the World.

Washington, April 5.-The naval ap-
preparation bill has been reported to the
house by Acting Chairman Foss of the
naval committee. The amount carried
by the bill is S61 ,210,9 ,916, the largest ever
reported to the house from the naval
committee. Aside from this, the report
which accompanies the bill is remarkable
for its arrayal of facts regarding sea
power the world over, foreign naval pro-
glammes and the comparative strength of
the navies of the great maritime powers,
accompanied by colored charts showing
the upbuilding of the various great ma
vieS.
Under the head of naval programme"
the report sets forth as follows as to
leW ships:
i'or the purpose of further increasing
! the naval establishment of the United
| States the committee recommends that
| the president be authorized to have built
| by contract two seagoing coast line bat
! tlcshps, carrying The heaviest armor and
most powerful ordnance for vessels of
their class upon II trial displacement Of
about 800 tons and TO have the highest
practicable speed and great radius of
action and 10 cost, exclusive of armor
and armament, not exceeding S3,600,O00
each: three armored cruisers of about
t3.uU0 tons trial displacement carrying
the heaviest armor and most powerful
ordnance for vessels of their class and
to have the highest practicable speed and
1 great radius of action and to cost, eXclu
sve of armor and armament, not exceed
ing $4,250,000 each. and three protected
cruisers of about 5000 tons trial dis
placement carrying the most powerful
ordnance for vessels of their class and t
have the highest speed compatible will
good cruising qualities and great radius
of action and to cost. exclusive of arma
ment, not exceeding $2,S00,000 each"
The Maximum Cost.
: Continuing, the report says:
, 1.-The maximum cost of the ships hereil
authorized, exclusive of armor and arma
ment, will be S2S.350,000. This is TIL
largest naval programme ever submitte
by the committee ON naval affairs of tn
house and is in accord with the wishe
and recommendations of the secretary o
e the navy and Admiral Dewey, aud vii
we believe, meet the Just demands o
public sentiment. The past year i'll nava
construction has been marked by th
). most liberal naval programmes on tn
r part of all foreign nations. AT the pre-.
/ ent time there is pending in the reichsta
/ of Germany II naval bill which, if passeC
= will increase the tonnage of the preser
J. German navy 422, 900 tons, a larger toI
s mage than that of her present navy"
d As to armor plate, the report tells {
@ the futile efforts to secure armor at $50
and $400 and says:
& The battleships Maine. Ohio and Mi
k souri,, now in process of construction, II
II quirc 1.339.42 tons OF aImor, or 2,1.,3 ]
d for each vessel. 1t IS bcigYad by Il
committee that these batllcships Of nea
is IS 10000 tons displacement, the large
. III design which have ever been plannC
e by the navy department, should have Il
n best obtainable armor, and, accordingl
your committee recommends that the Sc
retary of the navy he authorized to co
tract for such aImor ut cost not to q
coed S545 per ton. The best obtainab
" armor at the present time is, accordiI
Or to all naval authorities, the so callC
RS Krupp armor, which has been proved
v. balliStic tests to be of % per cent grea
Or er efficiency than that of the harveyizt
X armor Every nation in the world is U
i'd ing the Krupp armor today. Your COZ
n lnittee believes that it is little short
disloyalty to recommend any other tn;
the best protection and the best arm
for these battleships to he placed b
tween the bodies of our officers and M
u and the bullets of the enemy"