Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-02-18

promote the work he has III hand.
According to tho report of Chairman
Foss in behalf of his committee the policy
of charging the navy is to be continued.
In spite OF the feet that some of tho
national legislators arc opposed to this
line of development. Provision is made
in the navy bill for the construction os
one battlcahip carrying the heaviest
armor and tho most powerful armament OF
its class. with n displacement of 5000
tons and with the highest practicable
spocd and radius Of action.
The other war vesscs contemplated in.
cludc two first class arnorcd cruisers
with 1850 tons displacement, armed and
armored with the best of their class and
Of n great speed and radius. In view of
the marked progress made in naval archi-
lecture during the past few years these
two fighting machines will be more power
full than some of the older types of rcsu-
lar hattlcships, to say nothing of the
marked increase in speed and other de-
sirable qualities. The naval programme
also includes the construction Of three
scout cruisers OF 3.1JJ tons displac cmCnt
each. and two golfers capable of ac-
comranving battle feet and carrying
1000 tons of coal each.
1t will be noted that the scout cruisers
and Golfers constitute a now departure
in our navy. which experience has taught
| Us Is necessary Unless reports from the
sccne OF naval activities in the East
arc misleading the Russians arc likely
in the near future 10 discover tho value OF
! craft OF this description in connection
with naval operations ut some distance
1ror, a base of operations.
1t is probably safe to say that mas
much as the war IN tho East has demon
strated the value Of torpedo craft. as
| much interest attaches 70 our work in
| that direction as in any other branch Of
the naval service. Ii will be recalled that
| little use WAS made of torpedo boats in
| the Spanish american War rs n rcsult
of our experience in that struggle COM
parat little attention has been dcvot-
ed by our naval authorities to this type
| of fighting craft. To-day Great Britain
| has 22f torpedo boats, including 125 tor
| pedo boat dcstroycrs ard nirc submarine
! boats. France has 80 torpedo boats. twcn-
ty-fve 1estroyers and thirty submarines.
| Germany has nirety-thrce torpedo boats
| and nineteen dcstroycrs. United states
! has thirty torpedo boats and siNtCcn tor
/ pedo boat destroycrs and eight submar-
| ines
! 1t is evident from this survey ofthc navel
situation that we do not need to worry
over getting ahead Of the procession AIS
regards naval strcrstn. still we nave q
very crodltablo navy, ard IT Is comn7ra-
lively rev, which means something. f..
GLIDING the naval increase provided IN The
new appropriation. lili the United states
will have twcnty-throe bnttlcships OF
the first class, one hattieship Of the So
cond class. eleven coast defense Ncss', Ia.
ten armored cruisers, five protect
cruisers of the first class. nineteen Of the
second class ard twenty five Other cruis-
ors and war vessels.
In view of the enormous extent to which
! We have added to our exposed scaooaat
through the absorption of tho Philippines,
and of The development of our commercial
! interests in the Far East, We must keep
on building war vessels for "A considerable
time to come. SO far as this country is
| concerned We may molNy Won Nultlte' :
| famous saying TO tho effect that the
way to preserve peace is to be prepared
for naval war.