The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1903-01-24
JOY BA1TLESHIP
BILL
is CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCE OF
OPINION CONCERNING 1T.
General Feeling that a Big Navy Can Be
Quickly Constructed If Any Ne
cessity Exists for Rush.
Special to The Post !

! Washington, January %. Few legislative
measures relating to the navy that have
not been born Of consultation with the an.
thorities Of the naval administration have
attracted as much attention or caused as
much comment among officers Of the service
as Representative Joys bill for .he con
structlon of twenty-five battleships While
there are no officers whose enthusiasm has
so far overcome their Judgment as TO be-
lleve that there Is any prospect OF favorable
action on the bill from the present congress
with less than seven weeks to live. some
of them are hopeful enough 10 regard Mr..
( Joys proposal as the entering wedge for a
| big increase I'm the feet, in that 1t affords
occasion and opportunity for the discus.
sion Of the necessity OF entering upon n
definite building program watch will have
! In view the elevation Of the United States
! 10 the rank Of the foremost naval powers
within certain specified period.
/ As with all matters of intense Importance
10 the navy, there Is a healthy difference
Of opinion as to the merits Of Mr.. lows pro.
/ posal. Not that any naval officer is on.
posed to large augmentation Of the fleet.
on the contrary, there is cordial uuauin.
/ ny OF Feeling ia that connection. pue diff
ference applies ouly 10 tho uterhods ~ t."
( crease. inc best minds of tho srr,ir, b,,.c
/ oteh studying this question Of advancement
III many years anu uuch sound KNOWLEDGE
nus Deeh gained, ana with 1t, naturally. VA.
Itoue views nave been formed which are
NOT identical In some important pnrtIcIial.
some OF the most thoughtful aud accom-.
pished navy men, who have studied fine
mtuer from patriotic and a utiitorian
STANDPOINT as well as that Of physical abll-
Itl 10 produce are of the opinion that me
Huopuoh Of comprehensive. naval huiiJiug
Wubtum extending over long period az
y t,s.I.
30 many improvements are hpluz constantly
n"'t III war vessels, mainly pu account oJ
/ ,iHl.Iii'H.e WIN those already constructed
] luaL III W"uId he grave error To under.
Iahe 10 build great number OF sblps ON
pIuns prepared now, when the urob ihIi+t.
Is t9at before they are completed naval
architecture would progress to sucn an OK.
I t'uL lhat new types FOR naval craft would
I pc required TO keep pace with the fleets OF
/ oihef powers. This, of course. Is based ON
I tue suppnSlliun that If largo uuI,Nsr "a
/ vessels, say Mr.. joys tweuty-Hye ,cers
provided Tor by congress at one time tbr
construction Of the entire number yyouId
nS commenced on plans based on current
iuras or the Ideal armor-clad ana would
o. regarded as sufficient FOR the needs Of
THIS government for many years TO come
during which time the European nations
/ would be building with as great amir ion,
/ but with more dellberation. Ana there ure
some young officers who believe that even
WIN the consummntlon of the program on
trusted to every private ship.huildin@ nlon+
ana every government navy yard capable of
the construction Of battleShip the shin
/ building resources of the country wonld moi
pe aueqIate 10 the building wltnIn reason.
anlc period Of as many armor clads as Mr.
q JOY proposition contemplntes.
On the other hand, there Is expert oninion
that the Jnlted States is capable OF car.
rylhg out Mr., Joys idea without delay or
the danger OF Inferior work There are
seven private ship building plants now able
10 build armor cladS; six of them have
such vessels on the stocks under contract
with the navy department Then tbcre are
iour government navy yards witch can
nulld SHIPS one OF them being fully equip
PPe1 ior the construction OF the giant
connecticut aud the other three In need
only OF some extra apparatus to enable
them 10 do the work. This makes n rotoI ~
eleven plants, aud while some OF them
would be pushed 10 their utmost capacity
TO construct two battleships each and 9TH.
! ers are overcrowded with government work
mere Is 4 feeling among. number Of naval
oihcefS mat they would rise to the occa-
sion aud II the building program suggested
ny Mr. Joy were spread over eight or even
over SIX years II could be completed to the
satisfaction Of the naval authorities In
this connection It should be borne in mind
that 1t takes nearly four years to build n
battleship
But. despite the opposing views Of naval
/ experts as TO the necessity Of radically
augmenting the feet at this time the ideas
or those who take the negative on profps-
sional grounds are admittedly tempered by
2 Willingness to make immense preparation
Tor q tremendous advance I'm naval con
struction II the men In authority show
cause for fear that a hostile emergency Is
not Tar distant. Unquestionahly there is a
strong Feeling among naval men-and II Is
very general-that the time Is npp,oaching
when the United States must he prepared
TO light for Its trade rights ana the main.
tenhnCe Of the Monroe doctrine Certainly
many things being done by the army ANA
the navy have that expectation IN view. al
though the more conservative officers Of
the government refuse Ia tolerate the idea
that there Is danger Of a hostile conflict
WITH any European power. Mr.. joy IN ex-
planning the reason for the introduction Of
his radical measure, said that Its only pur-
pose was to provide a fleet sufficient to
insure respect for the consistent American
policy ~ preventing the acquisition OF ter
rltory In this hemisphere by nou-American
nations. II Mr. JOY would talk. MS ne has
presumably done, with army nnd navy Of
hcers. he would find there Is a growing
opinion throughout both services RAPIDLY
cryNal'lElng Into conviction that some
thing must be done by this government to
Keep pnce With the wonderful strides 70.
ward the perfection ~ powerful feet
that are being made by European states
WHOSE every move IS watched hy military
/ experts Tn America with eyes ~ susnIcinn
trrinusly enough II Is almost generally he
heYed IN military circles that this fast
augmentation Is directed mainly toward The
| lnifen Sintes. Whether there Is lust cause
Tor mis- feeling IL matter ~ opipiou hut
some ~ the foremost authorities IN son
power maintain that the only safe policy 50
pursue is 10 begin now 10 make ranid "A.
Vsnees toward the formation OF powerful