The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1904-09-03

gramme OF construction in hand, the
great delay in compile ting our ships
causes US to make relatively poor
showing in a comparison of vessels
actually completed, the United
States coming fifth on the list and
below Russia and Germany. Further
more, were the vessels which are now
building for the various navies of the
world completed, the United States
would move up from fifth to third pos.
ition, with Germany fourth ard Rus
sia fifth. About a month after the
publica tion of these tables by the
Bureau of Intelligence, the war be-
tween Russia and Japan opened with
the loss of several vessels of the
Russian navy, and such serious dam
age to others, that they must Of
necessity be deducted from the total
available ships of the navy. This has
been done by reckoning the battle
ship "Petropavlovsk," the cruisers
"Voriag," and "Boyarin," the tor
pedo transport "Yenesei" and the
gunboat "Korietz" hopelessly lost.
If the battleships "Czarevitch,
"Retvizen," and "Pobieda," and
cruiser "Pallada," which, after hav
ing been repaired sufficiently to be-
come onceemore an active feet, were
to be destroyed either by the Rus
slams themselves, to avoid their fall
ing into japanese hands, or by the
Japanese in a sea fight, the subtrac-
tion OF this tonnage of about 70,00O
from the Russian total would cause
Russia to drop from third to fourth
position, Germany taking her place
in the relative standing of the navies
as they now are. The same trans
position has to be made in the table
showing the comparative strength of
the navies, were the ships that are
now building completed, Germany
coming fourth, or next to the United
States, and Russia fifth.
1t would be mere guesswork to en-
deavor to modify the second compar-
ison by the losses which may occur to
both the Russians and Japanese be-
fore the war is ended II the Baltic
feet should be sent out, and succeed
in raising the siege of Port Arthur,
there might be great naval engage.
ment, attended with such a serious
loss Of Japanese ships, as would throw
back the development OF this the
youngest among the navies, for full
decade. On the other hand, il, as it now
begins to look possible, the Baltic
feet be not sent out, it is likely thai
Port Arthur and Vladivostock will
be captured, and the whole Asiatic
feet of Russia destroyed or taken. L
tins should occur,it would involve the
loss of the cream of the Russian navy
since tor the past few years, the new
Russian ships, as they have beer
completed, have been dispatched tt
the Far East. The total loss woulc
include seven battleships, four armor
ed cruisers, seven protected cruisers
and few gunboats, making tota
: of about ITO, 900 tons. In this cas-,
the Russian total; if all the ships nov
under construction were completed
would be about 388,875 tons. Sh'
would still rank fifth in point of dis
placement, or about 10000 large
than Italy, but long way below tn
! next nation, Germany. This, how
! ever, is mere speculation; and W
{ have only changed the figures of tn
tables of the Bureau of Intelligence
so far as they are actually affecte'
by the war, to the extent Of includ
ing in the totals for Japan the tw
cruisers purchased from Chile, an
: by subtracting from the Russial
totals the vessels known to be lost o
seriously disabled.
The total tonnage of vessels bull
and building for Great Britain, name