Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-01
OUR NAVY.
CONTINUED from page 81
not want England or Germany to excel

not want England or Germany to excel
us in the size of ships.
As to the relative merits of the
larger ships and torpedo boats. in
future construction, ex-Secretary
chandler has given a very valuable
interview on the subject, which l will
incorporate in the Senate document
which is TO include the tables used in
my remarks.
Now, the present years .appropria-
tion. including this bill and the
dctciency-there will always be about
the same amount of deficiency-will
ecual.sin round figures s1OO,OOO,cOO.
The naval program of the naval
boards and naval officers is that, as
against twenty-four battle ships which
we have built and building, and with
this bill twenty-five, and ten armored
cruisers, we shall go on and build
until. we have forty-eight battle ships
and twelve armored cruisers-forty-
eight battle ships, in round numbers, at
s. vV0, 900 apiece, tWenty-three of which
will he hereafter authorized, and
twenty-four armorcd cruisers at six
millions each, nearly. If we adopt that
program (and it is said we have no
business to ask questions, but we must
give everything that is asked), we will
have q naval appropriation bill next
wear Of Sis 900, 900 or $1,000 900; and
when you get the forty-eight battle
ships and twenty-four armOred cruisers
10 appropriation of less than s20o.GOo.
900 a year will run the Navy.
Mr. ALLISON rose.
Mr.. HALE. And long before that
YOU will have to build to take the
place of obsolete ships to keep up the
complement of forty-eight battle ships.
Great Britain has only thirty-four
battle ships in commission today, and
vet the naval boards and naval officers
tell us that we want forty-eight battle
ships. They are i'll earnest; they are
honest about it from their standpoint,
and think the country can not do better
thar devote its money to this purpose.
/ think that while the committee this
year has not thought it wise to
interfere with this program. it is
well worth the while for the Senate to
consider in the future to what all this
will inevitably lead. | am not in favor
Of stopping the building of ships. / am
not in favor of impairins the useful
ness of the Navy. | think we ought to
have the second or third navy in the
world | think when anyone says We
ought to go on and have a navy as big
as Great Britain that we are dealing
with conditions that are entirely
different from those of Great Britain
and that the contemplated force is too
large. that it is more than the revenues
will sustain.
Does the Senator from Iowa arise to
Il question?
Mr.. ALLISON. I was waiting: 1 did
not know but that the Senator would
reach the comparison that | think he
ought to make ut this stage. I should
be- glad to know what will be the APP
propriations necessary for the mainte-
nance of the Navy as it will be when all
the present ships are put in commits
sion which are under construction and
those authorized heretofore and in this
hill Then | should be glad to know.
in comparison, what. under the pro-
gram which the Senator has just an
nounced as the program of the Navy
l;"ard, the annual appropriations would
lr. and what would be relatively the
number Of sailors.
Mr.. HALE. l have given what the
annual naval appropriation would
ultimately be. $500, 100000 per year.
Tn" number of men will be from so 900
to 10000
Mr. SPOONER. AS against what?
Mr.. HALE. AS against $4,000 now.
Mr.. ALLISON. l will ask the
Senator in the course of his ohserva-
ti"ns to state what the number of men
will be when tn" ships now under con-
struction are completed.
Mr. HALE. 1t will be $1,000. 1t
would he just about double that under
tn" large program, if we carry it out.
Now we are not seeking even any
restriction or shrinkage this year, be-
cause the conditions are peculiar. We
do not know what this first locking of
horns between two great powcrs-and
they are both great pOWerS-will
demonstrate upon the question of the
naval establishment.
Th" committee did not think it wise
all the more. as l have said. because
tn" House reported only one battle
ship. to interfere with their program
But will say, in answer to the Senator
from iowa. that if we simply keep i
navy of the size which ours will he
whom the ships provided Tor in this bill
and thoS" now under construction are
completed. then we need not have al
appropriation much, if any. larger thar
1t is now. have made these calcula'
tions as correctly as | can.
Mr.. ALLISON. Now, Mr. President
! know how difficult it is to make ac
curHtc estimates. hut | should like Il
have tn" Senator state. so far as h
can, what the annual appropriation vii
necessarily be when the present con
StruCtiou and authorization is con,
pi"tcd ana the ships are In commission
Mr.. HALE. That would depend upoI
whether We so on and add every yea
lot of new ships. Ii we stop. then
can tell; but if we keep adding Will
tins program is being carried out
then the appropriations will incrci So al
tn" time. l do not know what We vii
do; hut if we stop and do not 10 any
thing mere for the present or the nea
future than what is necessary t. kcc,
good our twenty-five battle ships an
corresponding cruisers. then we can &c
got