The Washington times., 1901-08-31
WORLDS NAVAL PROGRESS
The Annual Report of the Chief
Intelligence Officer.

| Vnst Amount of Information ReIn-
| tive to Wnrskips - The Nations
| Spending Many Millions of Dollars
Vessels Under Construction.
| Notes on Naval Progress the annual
| publication of the Office of Naval Intel
| ligence, just issued, is one of the most
| interesting that has ever been prepared.
| 1t deals with variety of subjects relat-
| ing to foreign nayies and shows that Capt.
| Charles d. Sigsbee, the Chief Intelligence
| Officer, and his assistants in Washington
| and abroad have been alive to the value
| of what is being done by foreign countries
J to extend their influence on the sea
The seven chapters of Notes on Ships
and Torpedo Boats" by Lieut.. Harry
Phelps, treat ia a comprehensive way OF
vessels building, ordered. and proposed:
| of steam trials, the reconstruction of old
| ships, the sheathing of ships, coaling rec
| ords, and marine casualties. Lieut.. Thorn
as Snowden is the writer of the Notes on
| Ordnance and Armor' which include
! chapters on target practice and eyplo-
: sives Articles on engineering and wire
/ less telegraphy are by Lieut.. r. IL. X.
| de Steguer. and Lieut.. OHIO S. Knepper
writes of navy leagues, the naval maneu-
vres Of 1900. and the naval estimates OF
foreign Powers for the fiscal year 1901
1892
In his chapter on construction abroad
Lieutenant Phelps shows that since the
last annual report Austria has laid down
one armored cruiser and launched
one battleship and one cruiser of the third
class. Denmark has laid down one third
class battleship and launched a torpedo
transport. England has laid down two
VtAa
cruisers, two second-class protected cruis-
ers two sloops. and two shallow-draft
gunboats and has launched four first
class battleships. seven armored cruisers,
three sIoops one shallow-draft gunboat,
twelve torpedo boat destroyers, and three
torpedo boats. France has laid down
three armored cruisers. six torpedo boat
destroyers. eight submarine boats, and
four torpedo boats, and has launched four
armored cruisers one despatch transport.
five torpedo boat destroyers, eleven tor
pedo boats. and four submarine boats.
Germany has laid down one hrst-class
battleship, one armored cruiser, ana one
gunboat and has launched three battle
ships of the first class, one armored
cruiser four protected cruisers OF the
third class, one gunboat, and seven Tor
pedo boat destroyers. Holland has lald
down two third-class battleships and two
torpedo boats and has launched one third
class battleship and three torpedo boats
Italy has launched one first-class battle
ship and six torpedo boat destroyers. ia
pan has launched one first-class battleship
and two torpedo boats. Russia has lad
down three first-class battleships, one
coast defence ironclad, one protected
cruiser of the first class and one of the
as,,fr frl
two torpedo boat destroyers, and has
launched four first-class battleships. two
armored cruisers, two second-ciass pro-
tected cruisers. one gunboat, and seven
torpedo boat destroyers. Spain mas
launched one armored cruiser and Sweden
has launched one coast defence ship.
One of the most significant pieces of In
formation in Lieutenant Phelps article Is
that the large increase in the German
navy will have been made before 1910
the year originally set for the complexion
of the naval programme. The last OF the
new vessels for the active battle heet, ne
saws will be laid down In 1915, and a1ter
that year but one new battleship VIII De
laid down, and that for the non-actlVe
feet so that 1t will be seen, he ADDS
that the proposed German battle fleet
will be practically complete when the
vessels ldtd down III lS'O Siidli pe
the new cruisers laid down after 1905 be-
ing either for foreign service or the NON
active feet"
Owing to grave difficulties in the Minis
try of Marine and to those experienced
in securing the necessary appropriations
the building of the new battleShips by
Italy has been practically at stand
still. but Lieutenant Phelps says that
these difficulties are believed to have been
surmounted. In June, 1900. 1t is practical
ly decided to lay down four ships OF medi-
um type between battleships and armor-
ed cruisers.
Japan since her war with China has in
creased her tonnage in naval vessels from
80 900 to 260 600. This expansion, which
Lieutenant Phelps describes as 'enorm-
GUS has taken place in less than six
years. He mentions report that owing
to suspicion of the intention Of certain
Powers in the Far East, japanese naval
circles are considering a proposal to aug
ment the navy to the extent of either 55g.-
00U or 400 0O0 II is generally believed in
Japan, he says. that the scheme Will be
realized in the near future. The second
class cruisers, eight torpedo boat de-
stroyers and sixteen torpedo boats, have
been ordered by Japan.
The Russian budget for 1901 authorized
three cruisers and six torpedo boat de-
stroyers.
Lieutenant Snowden's chapter on target
practice shows that the English and
French are carrying out elaborate pro-
grammeS 10 ensure accuracy Win DiS
guns.
Some graphic tables prepared by Lieu
tenant knepper show the naval tonnage
built, and building, for the different class
es of ships of the seven prinC.pal naval
powers. The vessels included are battle
ships, annoyed cruisers, protected crui-
sers unprotected cruisers, arfnored coast
defence vessels, special vessels, torpedo
vessels. torpedo boat destroyers, torpedo
boats, and submarines. England heads
the list with Al vessels having a tonnage
-sa ..lsl .vF.8sr
more vessels than England, 4Si, has a ton
mage of only 7sl, Gj5: Russia has 81 yes
sells with a tonnage Of 552.5 the United
States is fourth on the list, 13o vessels,
with a tonnage of 5c7 i94; Germany, 26i
vessels, with a tonnage of i5S, 432. Italy
23l vessels with tonnage Of 81 ,7U7, and
Japan. l39 vessels, with a tonnage of
25l. f9S
The United States ranks next to Great
building, having 133.S0D to Great Britains
$500. but stands sixth in the tonnage
of battleships built S3.o94, leading Japan
only. In the tonnage of armored crui-
sers building. the United States is third.
with lC9. 500. being exceeded by Great Brit
ain with 226, 100, and France with liS. .26O.
In armored cruisers built the United
States stands seventh or last, with ton
mage of only l7.il5 Russia heads the list
OF armored cruisers built with a tonnage
of S3,23l In protected cruisers building |
the United States is third. with ton
mage of 6l,4GS and protected cruisers |
built with a tonnage of 2l,0g0. Russia |
heads the list of these vessels building, |
but is last on the list Of protected crui- |
sers built In armored coast defence NSs- |
sells the United States leads, with 1884 |