The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-29
TO ENLARGE NAVY
DcER BATTLEsHIPS AND CRUIs-
ERS NEEDED.
MUST KEEP UP WITH GERMANY
orp FIGHTING CAPACITY. NOW
OVERESTISIATED.

,,,ort of Naval Committee In House
Takes This View of Situation.
Many of Our ships Have No Real
piphting VaIue-TotaI Cost of Our
xaxv. Including Ships Now Build
ing. s235, Os2, 2O9-Two 16,OOO-TOn
pattIeships, Two 14,5OO-TOn Ar
r,ored Cruisers and Two 1,OOO-TOn
cuubOats Recommended.
washington, April 2S.-The naval
,rogramme for 1908, as presented in
the naval appropriation bill and &C
oompanying report filed to-day by
chairman Fos5 of the House Naval
Comittee, is one of unusual interest.
The report does not take as optimistic
= view of our naval proves as is gen.
orally held and Mr.. Foss points out
that comparatively few of our ships
have any real fighting value. He ac-
companies this with a statement of
the enormous naval armament and
nrogrammes of other countries, par
tcularly Germany.
It is show by the report that the
built and building, is 13S, and the total
cost will be 1926, OS2, 209. The report
adds:
while we have built and are build
ing, all told. 1873 ships, yet compare
lively few of them have any real fight
ing value. Our naval prowess lies al
most entirely in our eighteen battle
ships, eight armored cruisers, and
twenty-one protected cruisers. The
rest of our ships would cut but little
figure in actual war. Ships of the bat
tie line practically alone determine the
naval strength of a nation
Referring to the foreign naval no
gramme 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 1893
and will be completed in 1905; possibly
in 1907, instead of 1916 as first planned.
This programme will give her in all
IS battleships, IA large cruisers, SO
smaller cruisers and SO torpedo boats.
After the completion of this programme
the plan contemplates now constitute
lions to replace ships, which, though
still serviceable, Iday have reached the
prescribed age limit"
TO Have big BattIeships.
Concerning new ships for our navy,
the report says:
THE committee recommended that
for the purpose of further increasing
the 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 displacement of about 5000
tons and to have the high
est practicable speed and
great radius of action, and to
cost exclusive of armor and arma-
ment, not exceeding $4,212, 900 each; two
first class armored, cruisers of about
1880 tons trial displacement, to, cost,
exclusive of armor and armament, not
exceeding 81, $50 900 each, and two gun
boats of about 1000 tons trial displace-
ment
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 a provision
in the appropriation bill of this year
leaving it in the discretion of the Sec
rotary of the Navy to build any or all
ing it mandatory on him to construct
at least one battleship or one armored
cruiser in such navy yard as
he may designate, as an expert
ment and it is further provided that he
shall keep an accurate account of all
expenditures for labor and material in
the inspection and construction of
such ships and report to Congress at
each session. and upon the completion
he ha1 10
report showing the relative cost of one
built by the government and one by
contract 1t is believed by your COM
nllttee that nothing short of an expert
snt of this kind will show whether
private contractors have been reason
able in their bids, Furthermore to be
used as basis for future guidance in
the continued construction of our navy.
An appropriation OF $175,000 is recon-
mended for each yard in which ship
is built
Uncle Sam Can Stand 1t.
The complete cost of the two first
class battleships, two firSt-class ar
mored cruisers, and two gunboats,
with total tonnage of $4,000 tons, will
approximate $29, 500, O00 These battle
SHIPS and cruisers will be larger than
any heretofore authorized by Congress,
ana the plans recommended by the
board OF Construction have already eX-
cited the favorable comment of the
naval authorities abroad. The commit
Tee is of the opinion that in recon-
mending the above naval programme
II Is making a substantial and healthy
increase of our navy, and one which
VIII meet everywhere with popular ia
vor."
The detailed statement shows that
me appropriation bill carries SIT $780,,
$50 which is slightly below the appro-
prlation made last year.
The bill provides as follows for navy
yards and docks:
Norfolk, $4,000; Key West, $4,000;
Pensacola, $4,000; New Orleans, $780,