Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-16
SECRETARY LONGS REPORT.
Head of the Navy Department Wants
T,ventv- two New War Ships.

HeaQ OF thc NAVY bSPdieti :" 49,"
Twenty two New War Ships.
Washington, Nov. 16.-Secretary Long
wants twenty-five additional war ships
for the navy. In hisannua! report issued
today he asks congress for appropria-
tions for that number of new vessels.
He recommends the construction oil
three first-class battle ships. two first
class armored cruisers, three gunboats
of 1000 tons trial displacement each,
three gunboats of about 200 tons dis
placement for service in the Philippines,
three picket boats of about 600 tons dis
piacement, three steel sailing training
chips of about 1000 IONS, one collier OF
s Il, ,0e0 tons OF four tug boats. In support
Of this recommendation the secretary
says:
The navy today is a far greater fac
tor in our relations with the world than
it was before national expansion, which
now includes Porto Rico. the Hawaiian
islands, the vast area of land and sea in
she Philippines and our obligations t.
Cuba. If we are to have a navy at all
it must be commensurate with great
i extensions-greate in international ev-
en- than in territorial Importance. This
necessarily involves the construction OF
more naval vessels. their manning. eX-
ercise and maintenance
In order to provide 4 sufficient number
of officers and men for the growing
navy Secretary Long urges an increase
of fifty lieutenants. 5000 enlisted men
and $50 marines. The secretary urges
the establishment of a naval rendezvous
and a naval reserve. In explanation of
the purpose OF the former he says:
In such rendezvous the enlisted
men should be nude familiar with all
the mocha nical appliances with which
they would have to do on snipboard
There is no reason why boilers should
not be set UP on shore at such rendez-
voua engines run and all the other APP
pliances OF -aval machinery typicaliy
represented. Such station would serve
for the assembling, recruiting and drill
ing of the enlisted force from which the
crews for vessels would be drafted as
required.
Secretary Long declares that Ameri-
can armor plate is the best in the world
and the cheapest. His report reads:
The capacity of the armor plants is
now about $500 tons year of armot
of best quality; and at the instance OF
the department the. manufacturers are
making preparations to increase their
output TO 10000 or 1900 tons a year in
order to complete deliveries in accord
ance with present contracts and also In
order to be ready to provide armor for
additional vessels should they be au-
thorized by congress. They have al
ready turned out more armor than was
anticipated. Comparing the tests made
In this country with reoprts of those
made abroad our armor seems to be the
best that can at present be produced,
and the price at which it is obtained is
lower than that paid abroad.
In discussing the health of the navy
the secretary finds it has suffered but
little from It's long service in tropical
seas. In this connection he says:
"A large proportion of the naval force
has fort last year been employed in
and about the Philippines. This force
diseases, and, with the exception of Ca
rite fever. the cases admitted to the Ca
vste hospital have been those that would
have occurred in any southern climate
In the force afloat and ashore the death
late from disease has been less than
that for the previous year
Secretary Long renews his recon-
mendation for the revival of the office o!
vice admiral. He would also have the
for navel cadet" because it is full OF
historic associations" He reports fifty
line vessels in course of construction.