Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-01

Mr.. PROClOk. j WAS Trying 10 snow
our rapid advance.
Mr.. HALE. 1t has been exceedingly
rapid. There was a time when we were
behind every other nation. when we on
lily appropriated s1f,000,000 a year for
| the naval stablishment-for ships.
officers, men. and everything else-and
the whole naval world was ahead OF US.
We then be gan the work OF the building
up of the new Navy. and what ! am
trying to show is what we have al
ready done including the authorization
of this year.
Mr.. PERKINS. I should like to ask
the Senator to state, in passing, that in
| the effectiveness, in the improvements
of our war ships, and in their appurte-
nances and appliances and machinery
| we are second in the navieS of the
world. We have profted, in other
words. by the mistakes made by Euro
pean countries in, building up their
naves.
| Mr.. HALE We have this great aG-
vantage, Mr. President, let me say in
answer to the suggestion Of the Sen
/ ator from California, that up to, / will
|sav. 1884. we stood by and saw other ma
Itions making experiments in different
kinds of new ships. They spent hum
rreds Of millions of dollars upon ships
THAT have since been abandoned as
obsolete, and other kinds Of ships are
Ibeing constructed to make their pres
/ ent navies; but ir reckoning the entire
tonnage Of the foreign naVieS they
|have reckOned what both the Senator
from California and the Senator from
New Hampshire suggest, and all of
these old and practically obsolete ships
THAT are still existing are counted in
their tonnage. while our tonnage is of
lthencw ships that have been built and
are fit for some service.
| Mr.. ALGER. May I ask the Senator
| a question?
| Mr. HALE. Certainly.
| Mr.. ALGER. During the Spanish
American war Il large number % yachts
inferior boats. you might call them
were purchased, but they would be of
no use i'm time of war
Mr.. HALE. TWenty-three of them.
| Mr.. ALGER. want to know wheth-
er they are included in this number.
| Mr.. HALE They are not included
in the list of ships Of sea strength ana
fit for war service, to which / am COM
ing. They do not amount to much
either in tonnage or armament or any
thing else: but they balance against
just the same Kind of ships that ara
found in foreign navias. and that adds
to their total. They are of the same
| kind.
| But I have not been content myself.
Mr. President to rest there: and have
| = T. ,;,l, ~, tl,a
showing the sea strength of the princi-
| pal naval powers UP to the present
year and not including small ships less
than LOCO tons.
do not say that in 4 system either
of warfare or of peaceful conduct of q
naval establishment gunpoats and
| Lighted Sunboats are not very valu
able vessels. They are not only valu-
able in time Of peace and are used moro
than the larger ships. but in time Of
war they are excellent as scouts. But
I do not reckon them in the tables
which l am going to give now. | am
dealing with the larger vessels. which |
may, perhaps, be termed sea |
strength
Mr. LODGE. I ask the Senator if the
table is the same as that found in the |
report on the House Dlli.
Mr. HALE l think there may be
some little change. but it is practically
the same thing.
Mr. LODGE. That table shows the |
sea strength.
Mr. HALE. l was going to explain
what it shows.
Mr.. LODGE. Do the Senator's tables |
show the character of ships that are ut
present building?
Mr. HALE. Yes.
Mr. CHALLENGER. If the Senator |
will permit me, in reference to the
nterrogatOry on the part of the Sena- |
tor from Michigan INF. Algerl. I wish |
to say that the total tonnage today is |
53l $50. and the converted yachts have |
a tonnage of 10.SS0 SO they are in
cluded in the total. but it is inconse-
quential as Z matter Of fact.
Mr.. HALE. They make no figure.
Mr.. GALLINGER. No.
Mr.. HALE. Now, treating of what |
we may call the sea strength of the |
larger ships. that is here given for |
Great Britain. for France. for Russia |
for Germany. for the United States, |
for Italy, for Japan. The table gives |
the number of battle ships, coast |
defense iron-clads. armored cruisers. !
protected cruisers Of the first ana second |
class. and cruisers and scouts over |
1000 tons. That. of course. includes all |
ar:nOre9 ships and all battle ships |
whenever built. It gives for Great |
britain Il tonnage OF 1.5l6.040: France. |
51c1O Russia. 41G.l5S: Germany. 3S,.-
S74: the United States, 2Gi. 405; italy. |
1858 Japan. 2i5.5S6: Austria. 1898. |
That is the tonnage of ships that are
now commissioned.
Mr.. ALGER. They are built.
Mr.. HALE. Yes; they are now in
commission.
Mr.. CLAY. l should like 10 ask the
Senator how is it possible. with only
the tonnage he has stated. for the
United States to be the third naval |
power in the world?
Mr.. HALE. Will the Senator let me-
complete my statement?
Mr.. CLAY. Certainly; with pleasure.
Mr.. HALE. / have also shown-ana
iS nE1 1al in, hi. taIl |