Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-05-01
NAVAL PROGRAMME
OF UNITED STATES
The Total Number Of Vessels Of Our
Navy, Built and Building, is One
Hundred and Thirty-eight.
THEY WILL COST S235,Oo2,2 ,2O9
Comparatively Few Have Any
Fighting Value.
SIX MORE WARSHlPS ARE PROPOSED

Washington, April %. The naval
programme for 1903, as presented in
the Naval Appropriation bill and ac.
companying report, filed today by
Chairman Foss Of the House naval
committee, is one of unusual interest.
1t is shown by the report that the total
number of vessels of our navy, built
and building, is l3S, and the total cost
will be S235, 052, 2U9.
The report adds: "While we have
built and are building, all told, 1873
ships, yet comparatively few of them
have any real fighting value. Our
naval prowess lies almost entirely in
our is hattleships, eight armored
cruisers and Il protected cruisers
The rest of our ships would cut but
little figure in actual war Ships of the
battle line practically alone determine
the naval strength of a nation.
Referring to the foreign naval pro-
gram~ the report says: .'Of all the
countries, Germany has been building
during the last few years faster than
any of the others. Her shipbuilding
programme started in 1885, and will be
completed in 1908, possibly in 1907, in
stead Of 1919, as first planned. This
programme will give her in all 3s bat
tleships, II large cruisers. 80 smaller
cruisers and 96 torpedoboats. After the
completion of this programme. the plan
contemplates new constructions to re-
place ships which, though still service
able, may have reached the prescribed
age limit.
Concerning new ships for our navy,
the report says:
1.-The committee recommend that, for
fI,gN, ,e &l,ss
naval establishment of the United
States, the President have constructed
two tirst-class battleships carrying the
heaviest armor and most powerful ord
nance for vessels of their class upon
trial dis sllacement OF about l6, 900 tons
and to have the highest practicable
speed and great radius of action, and
to cost, exclusive of armor and arma-
ment, not exceeding "a, 212, 900 zach:
two tirst-class armored cruisers of
about Il, 800 tons trial displacement, 10
cost, exclusive of armor and armament,
not exceeding 81, $50, 900 each, and two
gunboats of about LOCO tons trial dis
placement.
In view OF the fact that there is
some public sentiment favorable to
building ships in our government navy
yards, it has been deemed advisable
by the committee to insert pro-
vision in the Appropriation bill
of this year leaving it in the
discretion of the Secretary of the
Navy to build any or all ships in gov
ernment yards, but making it manda-
tory on him to construct at least one
battleship or one armored cruiser in
such navy yard as he may designate as
an experiment; and it is furtner pro-
vided that he shall keep an accurate
account of all expenditures for labor
and material in the inspection and
construction Of such ship and report to
Congress at each session, and upon the
completion of said ship he shall make
detailed report showing the relative
cost Of one built by the government
and one by contract
1.-THE complete cost of the two first
class battleships, two first-class armored
cruisers and two gunboats, with total
tonnage of $1,000 tons, will approxi-
mate $29, 800, 600 y