The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-11-22
c OVERNME 7
BUILT SHIPS
Of WAR
Practical Demonstration that UR-
Gle Sam Can Do the Work H.
dependent Of Contractors.

The New Orleans Picayune Of yes
terday contained the following:
AS the twin battleships Louisiana
and Connecticut near completion. lt Is
becoming more and more evident. not
only that both ships viii be finished
well within the time limit. when is
sufficiently unusual as to merit com
ment, but that the Government-built
ship Connecticut viii be ready to 90
into commission sooner than will the
Louisiana, which is being construct
ed under contract by the Newport
News Shipbuilding Company
In deciding that one of the two TO-
600 ton battleships to be constructed
for the navy should be built at a navy
yard, congress desired to demonstrate
that the government itself could built
its warships in quicker time than they
have heretofore been constructed at
private yards, and that the cost Of
construction would not be materially
greater in the case Of the government
built ship than where the ship is built
under contract by a private firm or
corporation. The Louisiana was com
menced by the Newport News Ship
building Company a month earlier
than the Connecticut. which has been
under construction at the New York
navy yard For a long time the Loui-
siana maintained her lead, her launch
ing taking place just a month earlier
than that of her sister-ship. Since
that time. however. the government
built ship has gradually gained in the
race until now she Is very appreciably
nearer completion than her rival. and
each month shows a slight further
gain in her favor. The two ships wid
next spring or summer.
The practical demonstration that
the government can do its own ship
building should induce congress to
adopt the permanent policy Of keeping
one or more ships under construction
at all times in the navy yard. This
system would keep together a com
petent corps Of wOrkingmen at each
Of the larger shipyards. Mere repair
work does not keep the navy yards in
proper trim as shipbuilding plants
While we are now striving to return
to the Oldtime policy Of constructing
warships as far as practicable at navy
yards, Great Britain has never aban-
doned that policy, with the result that
British warships are more rapidly con
structed than is possible anywhere
else. Since 1893 there have been built
for the British navy fOrty-six battle
ships, twenty-five armOred cruisers.
twenty irst-class protected cruisers
and seventeen secOnd-class protected
cruisers. OF a total of los vessels
constructed for the British navy dur
ing the time mentioned, twenty-eigdt
battleships five armOred cruisers and
fourteen protected cruisers have been
constructed at government dOck-yards
while eighteen battleships. seventeen
armOred cruisers and twenty-three
protected cruisers have been construct
ed at private shipyards. It viii thus
be seen that in a period Of twelve
years the British government has con
structed practically half of the total
number of warshiDs added to its fleet
within the confines of its own dock
yards.
All the actual proofs favor the con-
structiOn Of warships at government
yards as far as possible. This COM
petition Of the government with pri-
vate shipbuilding firms insures quick
err as well as better work. Although
this country has so far undertaken the
construction Of only a single ship. iE
is probable that the results achieved
in the case of that vessel viii have
weight in determining the future Of
the navy department with respect 70
shipbuilding.