New-York tribune., 1900-08-11
RNAR ADMIRALS DISAGREE
DlSCORD IN THE NAVAL BOARD ON
CONSTRUCTION
CONTROVERSIES OVER wARsHIP DESIGNS
SHARP CLASH BETWEEN O'NEIL
AND HICHBORN
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE !

! lBf TELEGRAPH TO TRIBUNE.I
! Washington, Aug. 1O-The bad blood in the
| Naval Board on Construction which has been
so frequently manifested in the design of war
| ships in the last few years. and which for sew
! eral months has been lost sight Of in the pres
| ence of more important matters has again
come to the surface, and the service is likely to
! be scandalized by painful exhibition of discord
| among the ranking rear admiraIs of the Navy
| The Board which consists of Rear-Admrals
! Melville. Hichborn. O'Nen and Bradford and
Captain Sigsbee, under a restraining order, is
| sued by Secretary Long, making it's transactions
secret has managed to conceal much of the
acrimonious dissensiou that has taken place
| over the plans of the eight batteshIps and three
armored cruisers on which compromise designs
have lately been adopted. The controversies
over the details Of the three protected cruisers
authorized at the last session Of Congress.
which TO be called the Milwaukee. the St
Louis and the Charleston. have not been more
bitter than those over the ships that preceded
them, and had not the excessively hot weather
contributed its complications It is likely that
compromise on these vessels would have been
reached in a short time.
O'NEIL ATTACKS HICHBORN.
Chief Constructor Hichborn. however. is near
ing the age Of enforced retirement his active
service being limited to March / next, and he
months leave at the seashore, beginning to-
morrow. He had the regulation permit to take
this leave. and such permits ordinarily
irrevOcable except under extraordinary circum-
stances. Such circumstances have been formal
ly set forth in a letter to the Navy Department
by Admiral ONeil, president OF the Board on
Construction, who asks Acting Secretary Hack
EFT to keep Admiral Hichborn virtually in
limits until the protected cruisers are planned,
II IL takes until March T. Admiral O'NeiIs
letter has not been made public. but the admit
ted fact Of it's existence astounded naval officers
to-day. the reporting of a rear-admiral amount
ing practically to preferring indefinite charges,
being decidedly a novelty particularly Ad-
miral ONeiI is Admiral Hichborns junior.
Mr. Hackett who is new to matters of naval
etiquette and other marine practice, is in
uqandary over the affair and has hesitated 70
take drastic action such momentous ques-
ton until he can hear from Secretary Long,
who has just left bingham for Buckfeld OK
ford County, Me, TO take part, according to
his invariable rule, in the annual competition of
the Hartford CMe) Custard Pie Association.
He has not been reached and late tonight the
prospects for Admiral Hichborn's escape 10 the
Jersey coast are regarded as excellent though
there is the contingency that he may be sum
marily brought back in few days
Whatever the result may be- it is now
settled that the designs of the three protected
cruisers which are named. one for the lost
Charleston and the other two impartaIly for the
two great rival brewery centres. will be fought
over in public, and perhaps the floor of the
House and Senate. at the next session. with the
paramount question the right OF the naval ex-
perts to plan ships for the best interests OF the
service ahoat of the Appropriations Com
mittee of Congress to prescribe the military and
strategic qualities Of the fleet.
Some time ago the Board on Construction
agreed by vote of to l. which is the usual
vote Of the Board matters in dispute, that
the Milwaukee class Of vessels should be
of about 10000 tons displacement. should carry
armOr belt and armored gun positions, and
should have twenty-five knots speed. The de-
tails Of these vessels, designed improved
Olymptas, but in reality improved Brooklyns.
were fully given in The Tribune. Chief Con-
StruCtor Hichborn Contended for less displace-
ment and draught, less armor and greater speed.
He overruled by the majority who made
their recommendations in a written report TO
the Department.
HICHBORN'S MINORITY REPORT.
Constructor Hichborns minority report was
handed in this afternoon He attacks the ma
jority's decision to build twenty-five knot ar
mOred cruisers of 10000 tons taking as his text
the following quotation from the last Naval
Appropriation BILL the act of June T. 1900:
That for the purpose OF further increasing the
naval establishment Of the United States the
President is hereby authorized to have nstruCted
by contract two seagoiug battleships. three
armored cruisers and three protected Crus-
ers OF about eight thousand tons trial displace-
nent, carrying the most powerful ordnance for yes
sells of their class and TO have the highest speed
compatible with good cruising qualities and great
radius Of action, and 10 cost, exclusive Of arma-
ment. s2SOO.OOO each.
The act also specified that the cost Of five yes
sells first mentioned should be exclusive armor
and armament Admiral Hichborn in his report
declares that the majority of the Board has
gone beyond the law in making the small cruis-
ers armored, that the armor will have to be
purchased separately, at a cost of more than
million dollars, for which there is no legislative
authority. but actual statutory prohibition. 1t
is also shown that Congress knew what 1t
about when il provided for improved Olympias
that could protect American interests from
every foe except battleships. while the ship de-
signed by the majority could neither whip any
good foreign armOred cruiser get out of
the way of most battleships Both majority and
minority arguments said to be extremely
strong. and how the divergent views to be
harmOnized by Admiral HiChborn remaining
in town after the reports have been presented
does not appear
HIS THIRD TOY4GE AROUND THE WORLD