Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-31
BILLION ON NAV Y
UNITED STATES HAS LEAD ALL
NATIONS BUILDING BATTLE
SHIPS LAST 20 YEARS.
Senate Committee Soon to Present
Figures Showing Vessels Now IN
der Construction VIII Compose One
of the Strongest Fleets Afloat.

Washington, d. c., Dec. 29.-The
senate committee on naval affairs will
present some interesting and rather
startling figures to the senate when
congress reassembles.
These will show how generously and
loyalty congress has responded to pub
lie sentiments in building the new
navy
With the estimates of the navy de-
partment for this year added to the to-
tai of appropriations made since 1883,
when the United States began build
ing the new navy the cost of construc-
ton and maintenance is more than
one billion dollars The amounts car
ried in the annual appropriation bills
covering this period is $791, 127, 1884;
appropriated to meet deficiencies
$133 ,912,004.30; estimated for this year
$104,436, 1884; total, $1,O29 AGE, 276.4S.
These figures show that congress
has been liberal in appropriating for
the navy and that in the last twenty
years this government has expended
more on its navy than any other in the
world.
Believes In Economy.
Senator Hale, chairman of the SEN
ate committee on naval affairs, is in
harmony with the house leaders in the
policy to economic on naval appropri-
atoms as we'll as others.
He would get the new ships into
commission before trying to complete
the Endicott plan. The cost of bat
tleship is nearly $S,000,000, complete
and armed.
The United States has thirteen first
class battleships, thirteen armored
cruisers and three unprotected cruis-
| ers.
There are now building six 10000
ton battleships, the Connecticut, Kan
sas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Vermont
and New Hampshire; three $4,000 ton
battleships, the Georgia, Nebraska and
New Jersey; two $4,000 ton battle
ships, the Rhode Island and Virginia;
two $4,000 ton battleships. the Idaho
and mississippi; one 1850 ton battle
ship, the Ohio; two 14,500 ton armed
cruisers, the Tennessee and Washing
ton; five $4,000 ton armored cruisers,
the California, North Carolina, Mon
tana, Pennsylvania and West Virginia;
| three $4,000 ton armored cruisers, the
Maryland, Colorado and South Dakota;
| three $500 ton protected cruisers, the
Charleston. Milwaukee and st. Louis;
three $500 ton scout cruisers, the
| Chester, Birmingham and Salem; two
$500 ton protected cruisers, the Chat.
tanooga and Galveston; two gun
boats, two first class Golfers, two
training ships, five torpedo boats and
/ two large sea going tugs.
Needs More Officers.
These ships are nearing completion
and the navy complains of lack of Of
ficers and men for the ships now in
commission. To place one new ship
4 in commission means large increase
in the navy, and considerable in
crease in the cost of maintenance.
The naval architects admit thai
they have not perfected the architec
ture of the battleships, and the dispo
sition of congress is to not authorize
a large number of ships this year but
wait for the perfect type while they
complete and place in commission the
ships now building.
\ The ship yards desiring the con
tracts are bitterly opposed to the pro
4 posed economy of congress.