Arizona republican., 1904-03-12
Uncle sam,s Navy, and Others

naval appropriation bill some Enport- ant facts concerning the growth of tie United States navy and it's strergse relative to the navies of other natiors, were brought out by speeches of Sen ators Hale. Lodge and Clay.
 As to cost, it was shown that siace 1884 the total expenditure for the nsvy has been. in round figures. $62O.OO0. 900. It would be tedious to analyze the fig ures and show what proportion of this sum has gone into construction. but this expenditure has not only maintain ed, but built and equipped, the present fleet: for as nearly everybody knows our modern navy had its beginning under the guiding hand of Secretary William c. Whitney, in 1sSE,
 So ra2id has this nation become great sea power that it is not generally realized that we shall soon be abreast of all others except Great Britain. and | in the judgment of our experts, aheEd of any but John Bull. We have, already built II first-class battleshi2s. and 12 other battleships and coast defenge iron clads:" arn2J Jed cr;Gsers protected cruisers of the first class. 15 protected cruisers of the second class. and 23 other cruisers and scouts" We are building 12 battleships of the fire olo - protected cruisers. besides a lot of smaller craft and submarine torpedo boats.
 The batleshIps building are: the Missouri, Ohio, Virginia, Nebraska !, Georgia, New Jersey, Rhode Isl nd Connecticut, Louisiana. Vermont. Kan sas. and Minnesota. All but the Yer mont and Kansas are well along toward completion.
 The armored cruisers building-are: the Pennsylvania. West Virginia Cal ifornia. Colorado, Maryland. Soath Dakota, Tennessee and Washington The protected cruisers building-whicn also are good fighting craft-are: the IOAANfis GCS-hbiIGSs 1i4eilldllOOSd- AId. weston, Tacoma. St Louis, Milwaukee, and Charleston.
 It is interesting to note, from the tables furnished during the debate. that Great Britian has. 50 battleships of the first class, and under construc- | ton. Of " other battleships and iron clads" she has built, but none under eonstruction. Of armored cruisers she has 27, and 20 under construction.
 France, heretofore supposed to be so far ahead of the United States as to forbid comparison. has 20 battleships of the first class, and under construc- ton. France also has built 20 |" other
 battleships and coast defense vessels of an obsolete type, usually, as b the case in the United States and Greas | Britain-and 15 armored cruisers and $ building. Of protected cruisers France has but 4, and is building noar. On paper the naval strength of Franc:. is considerably superior to the Amerl- can navy. but oIr navy department insists that when the vessels now under construction are completed our navy will be more efficient than the navy of France.
 Germany, Russian and Italy are tho only other nations that have navies which will compare in number with Uncle Sam's war vessels. Germany. with 14 battleships of the first class on hand is building more. Italy, also with IA, is building more. Russia with r battlesnips of the first class before the outbreak of the war-is building more. She has-or had-1G | armored cruisers, but is building none Japan. when these tables were made up. had not gone to war, and had .la war vessels under construction except small cruisers. At the beginning oc the war she had battleships of the first class, 3 ar,nored cruisers, and IS protected cruisers.
 One of the important facts definitely settled by experience in actual war. however. is that the strength of nary is not determined entirely by the mum Der and size of it's warships. Our var with Spain and the present war in the far east have demonstrated that the personnel-the men behind the guns count for quite as much as ships, guns or arrnor. If this were not true Japan would make a sorry showing in a cen test with Russia, whereas so far sne has poor old Russia up a trce"-if such a non-nautical figure may be employed.
 Some of the senators complained that our navy is costing too mucn, and that we should call halt in our building programme, but these grumblings do rot represent public sentiment We shall be glad 10 see Uncle sam go on increasing lis feet urtl thex> is a fil st class bat:leshio "AriZcna." --------------------