The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-07-29
WHAT a GREAT NAVY MEANS.
President Rooscvelt's Feryid Oratory
Boiled Down to Hard Facts.

PRESIDENT ROOSevelt'S Fourth Of july
pronouncement that we need a navy
equal, ship for ship, to the navy Of any
other nation, must mean, of course
that an American navy equal to the
British is a national necessity. II tht
president is right it is worth while tt
to count the cost. The british navy
according to the latest official return
made at the beginning OF the current
year, included 546 vessels of 1,40l ,01s
tons already built, and IS vessels build
ing, of 406,S56 tons. Against this
total Of 624 vessels, Of 1,S07,S74 tons
comprised in the Kings Navee," the
United State had on the same date los
vessels Of 27S.259 tons already built,
and 444 vessels, of 300, 454tons, build.
ing; in all 153 vessels of SIS, 743 tons.
From this it plainly appears that tc
realize Mr.. RooSevelt's ideal navy We
must build at once battleShips, armor-
ed cruisers and other varieties Of the
ship militant aggregating the little
trihe of 1929, ,l3l tons.
Now, what would this cost?
The shortest way to answer the
question is to reduce it to battleship
terms. A frst-class battleship aver
ages 10000 tons displacement and costs
at least S., 600, 900 to build. TO get
even in the matter Of ships built and
building with the British navy, as the
account stood on Jan. l last, we must
therefore build the equivalent Of more
than 80 battleships at cost Of $780,
100000. Admiral Melville has stated
the actual first cost Of our navy as it
stands today, including the vessels
now building, and the auxiliary ex-
penditures indispensable to maintain
ing it afoat-docks, coaling stations,
training ships, etc, ,-at $3.50, 100000.
The same authority says the actual
cost of creating navy is double the
mere first cost of building the ships.
On the basis Of this expert testimony.
Mr.. Roosevelt's navy, equal ship for
Ship the Great BriJain's, would cost
US $500, 1000, 900 plus what we have al
ready spent just to call it into ex-
istence. Meanwhile the ships we
have are becoming obsolete or worn
out. The New York, Indiana and
Iowa are Laid up for repairs" that
will cost $500, 900 for each.
Furthermore, Great Britain is year
by wear increasing the pace Of naval
construction. She has increased her
naval expenditures nearly threefold
during the past Is years, and they now
exceed sl5O, 900, 900 annually, At our
present rate Of construction, unless the
British pace is lowered, we shall never
catch up with her, but shall grow rel
atiYely weaker. We must ''see'' her
$3.50, ,O0G, 900 year for naval purposes
and add at least SO, 900, 900 a year to
it in order to oyertake her within l3
years.
This is in fact an underestimate, be-
cause it costs US 80 per cent. more to
build a warship than it does Great Bri-
tian and 80 per cent. more to main
tain it in service. Hence nearly one
third must be added to the vast totals
of cost above given for the realization
Of our fighting presidents naval dream.
Naval appropriations aggregating not
much less than 100000, 900 yearly,
and containing for 13 years to come,
is the unavoidable price to be paid for
the whistle of a standing navy as big
as Great Britain's.
But what for? Do we really need
it? Who threatens US? Or whom do
we desire to threaten? What is the
the worldwide game of war for which
Mr.. Roosevelt would have US go into
training? And would the game,
whatever it is, be worth so costly a
candle.