The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-06
NAVAL BILL REPORTS
Majority and Minority Differ
as to Armor Plate.
BILL CARRIES S61,219,916
Eight New Warships Recon-
mended- Krup Armor Best.
BILL CARRIES S61,219,916

mouse py acting CHAIRMAN FoSS or the
naval affairs committee. The amount
carried by the bill is SCI, 1856, the largest
committee. Aside from this, the report,
which accompanys the bill, is remarkable
for its arrayal Of facts regarding sea
power the world over. foreign naval pro-
grams and the comparative strength of
the navies of the great powers, accom-
panied by colored charts, showing the up
building of the various great navies.
Under the head of Naval Program"
the report sets forth as follows as TO new
ships: For the purpose of further in
creaSing the naval establishment of the
United States, the committee re commenis
that the president be authorized to have
constructed two sea-going coastline bat
ships, carrying the heaviest armor and
most powerful ordinance for vessels of
their class upon a trial displacement of
about 1850 tons, and 10 have the high
est practicable speed and great radius of
action, and to cost, exclusive of armor
and armament not exceeding S3,600,000
each; three armored cruisers of about
900 tons trial displacement, carrying the
heaviest armor and most powerful ord
nance for vessels of their class, and to
have the highest practicable speed and
great radius OF action, and TO cost, exclu-
sive Of armor and armament, not exceed
ing 81 5000 Oeach, and taree protected
cruisers of about 5000 tons trial dis9lace-
ment, carrying the most powerful ord
70 Of
SlaVe the highest speed compatible with
good cruising qualities and great radius
Of action, and to cost, exclusive of arna-
ment. not exceeding s., 100000 EACH
Continuing, the report says: The max
imum cost Of the ships herein authorized,
exclusive of arnor and armament, will be
$2S, 600 This is the largest naval pro-
gram ever submitted by the committee
on naval affairs of the house and is in
accord with the wishes and recommends
lions of the secretary of the navy and
Admiral Dewey, and will, we believe,
meet the just demands of public senti-
ment. The past year in naval construction
has been marked by the most liberal
naval programs on the part OF all for
eign nations. At the present time there
is pending in the reichstag of Germany
a naval bill, which. if passed, will in
crease the tonnage of the present Ger
man navy $4,000 tons, a larger tonnage !
than that of her present navy
As to armor plate the report tells of |
the futile efforts to secure armor at $500 |
and 500, and says: 1.-The battleships |
Maine, Ohio and Missouri, now in process |
Of construction, require 7,S59.42 tons of ar
NOR. or 2,453.14 for each vessel: 1t is be- |
lieved by the committee that these lat /
tleships of nearly 1900 tons displacement,
the largest in design which have ever
been planned by the navy department,
should have the best obtainable armor,
and accordingly your committe recon-
mend that the secretary of the navy be
authorized to contract for such armor at
a cost not to exceed $5i5 per ton. The
best obtainable armor at the present time
is. according to all naval authorities, the
so-called Krupp armor, which is, at least,
and has been so proven by ballistic tests,
Of % per cent greater efficiency than that
of the Harveyized armor. Every nation
in the world is using the KruDp armor
today Your committee believe that it is
little short of disloyalty to recommend
any other than the best protection and
the best armor for these battleships to be
placed between the bodies of our officers
and men and the bullets of the enemy"
Under the last naval appropriation act
congress authorized the construction or
the three battleships the Georgia, the
Pennsylvania and the New Jersey. and
three armored cruisers, the West Vir-
ginia. the Nebraska and the California,
but inserted a provision therein as fol-
lows: That no contracts for the armor
for any vessel authorized by this act
shall be made at a rate exceeding $500
per ton of 2.2O pounds. including royal
ties and in no case shall a contract be
made for the construction of the hull of
any vessel authorized by this act until
a contract has been made for the armor
OF such vessel
Your committee recommends that this
restriction be removed and the contracts
be authorized so that the construction of
the hulls of these vessels may go on
without further delay"
One OF the most interesting features Of
the report is that which discusses our
naval policy. 1t gives the gradual M
building of our navy. year by year. un-
der Secretaries Chandler. Whitney. Tracy
Herbert and Long, and says: I'VE have
navy today which includes a consider
able number of vessels Of every class
and ship for ship. 1t will equal thar NJ
any navy in the world. Seventeen wears
ago we had- practically no facilities for
building ships and what we had were
diScreditet. We were obliged to b-lv mir
armament and armor. and even in one
case, our plans. from foreign countries
Today we are not only building shins :,
American shipyards. OF American mater
iaL by American labor. on American
plans. for ourselves. but also for sorna Of
the leading nations OF the world Such
has been the advance which has been
made in naval progress in our country.
The question may be asked what shall
be our future naval policy Let US build
as We have been building-graSus1 ~,
broad lines and upon the most advances
IDEAS Of naval construction; not 50 fast
that We viii he ahead ~ the advance az
naval progress. but slow enough To Sc
cure all the benefits % new improve
ments and new Inventions: or. better
still 10 Go as the American navy. has al
WAYS done. when given an opportunity
70 lead the march OF the best naval con-
struction"
The more important items IN the bill IN
addition n those given are: Conti,Sencr
fund. necessary 10 meet emergencies oo--
st7ntiy arising IN view OF the unsa.,ls;
conditions IN our insuIsr possessions ~
b expended IN the discretion % the r-es-
ident. say. $50 90; 9rV7rauce. 8. 7as osa.
equippins vessels Sc $40 GO: surveys ara
coaling stations In insuIar possessions.