The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-26

other auxiliary vessels. a. they have no
bearing upon the general question, either Of
rating or OF names. ins; hainooM, Mlst &C.
could be called Diamond. Pearl, Ruby and
The like. Should We follow the plan adopted
abro nd and transfer the transport service ia
the navy. names should be selected from
the bright galaxy OF our army iists' past
and present.
AT present we have in commission twelve
ships Of the first class and two monitors,
! named after States, besides twenty-five FIRST
rates and two more monitors building or
appropriated for. making a total O. forty
t 1ne Union, activity With Statehood bills viii
/ through many more Congresses. It seems
most happily appropriate that the battle
ships, whose first natural duty VIII keep
! them mostly in home waters. should be called
After the States whose shores they Will pro-
tect from insult but the monitors are COM
paratively small, and II seems exPedient 70
let the names follow the individual ratings.
so that all first rates shall follow one system,
all second rates another, and so on without
regard to types We have cruisers now Of
1000 tons and will soon have them OF 1900;
but the distinctiveness Of battleehips and OF
armored cruisers will gradually become less
and less marked az the defensive power o.
the offensive power OF the former perhaps
In carrying out the provision that third
rates should be named 'ss the President
directs" the policy expressed at first was
that their names should commemorate
events connected with the nations history;
but naval events were not considered, and
for the first three built Yorktown. Concord
and Remington were thus selected BY
curious coincidence, those three fine little
ships, reminding US OF victories over British
arms, were designed after a British model.
as was not unnatural in the early days OF our
naval renaissance. Since that time the OBJ
ject first conceived has been lost sight OF,
and names have been bestowed simTly TO
represent upon the high seas cities located
In different geographical and political sec.
lions of the country. 1t IL not unders' God
that there was thought OF Jacksons brilliant
operations in naming the New Orleans. re-
Gently bought in England: nor was the De;
trolt baptized In honor OF the ship captured
by Perry on Lake Erie In fact, no modern
ship in the navy to-day appears to be asso-
cated with any event. man or vessel con-
nected with our naval history. and there are
only few old gunboats left to recall the
honorable past
It is true that we have Farragut-a
torpedo boat named after the great flag
officer, whose most famous order was Damn
the torpedoes 60 ahead. Another Of those
vicious little craft In the Ericsson. after the
sprang the revolving turret, the protoplas-
mic cell Of the torpedo boats dearest foe.
the battleship. Torpedo boats do not enter
here-we can probably find names enough
for any number that may be built-but there
will be- in course OF time, material Differ
ence In the importance of their sponsors SER
vices. Moreover, IL Is doubtful II Farragut
would have cared TO have torpedo boat as
bearer OF his name. nor does the honor APP
pear commensurate. think In this matter
the humor OF most officers chimes with the
practice abroad. OF restricting nance to tho
larger class OF these craft, usually known
as torpedo-boat deetroyers. Gushing should
perhaps head the list, though Somers should
certainly not be forgotten-he who. with his
entire crew, was blown TO atoms In the fire.
ship (the forerunner Of the torpedo boat)
which he took In among the shipping Of the
Barbary pirates.
In dealing with subject which appeals TO
ones Hottest feelings and enthusiasm, as In
dealing with any subject, one must curb
impatlence and consider the question With
elaboration. The various States, undoubt-
eddy, do take interest In their godchildren-
each one wants the biggest that there Ia,
and. naturally, the smaller the State the
bigger the ship. Che Connecticut u q
ls,OO0-ton battleehipD We IN the navy are
glad to note the interest displayed. and
think the propriety Of thus exciting and
maintaining Il Ia not. only conceded, but
asserted. The vessels naturally indicated
for this category arc the big ships; oan