The Washington herald., 1907-12-30
UNITED STATES NAVY SECOND
Yearbook Shows the Comparative
Strength of Nations.
Great Britain First, France Third
Germany Fourth, Japan Fifth.
Personnel OF America Lowest.

According to the Naval Year Book.
compiled by Pitman Pulsifer. secretary
to the Ssnate Committee on Naval At
fairs. the United States is now the sec
ond in strength upon the high seas of
all the world powers.
Great Britain alone exceeds the United
States in fighting forces afloat. accord
ing to this volume. To attain this po-
sitiOn, the United States during the
twenty-four years which have elapsed
since the building of the modern navy
began, has expended S309. .S59 l90. or an
average Of nearly S13.OOOOOO a year
This includes the cost Of ships already
commissioned and those which are now
! under construction.
Among the powers. France, which, for a
long time, has held second place, is now
rated as third. Germany fourth, and
Japan fifth.
In the list which Mr.. Pulsifer gives for
comparison the United States has TWEEN
ty-nine battle ships Of more than 1000
tons, while Japan has only thirteen The
| United States has eleven coast defense
vessels, Japan three The United States
has fifteen armOred cruisers, and Japan
thirteen.
In the cost Of battle ships the Con-
necucut and the Kansas lead the others,
the former costing, according to Mr.
PulSifer SI.667. Sc and the Kansas S7,O1.-
l4S. Another table which he presents
shows the cost OF maintenance OF each
type OF war ship the average figures
being battle ship. 1886, ,5S7; armored cruiser.
Sn5,lI. protected cruiser. S5S3.OO2; gun
! boat, Sll5.5S5; tOrpedo-boat destroyer,
S7554; torpedo boat. S5l. $50; submarine
SIG. .454
The personnel Of the American navy,
according 70 the book, falls below in
numbers the personnel of England.
France. Germany. and Japan. The ap-
preparation for the naval establishment
in 1885 was S14.9S0. 472. while for the cur
rent year the amount was SOS 95S. .J07. The
| largest appropriation for a single year
was in 1906. when the amount was $1G2.-
cgl,51O. The total appropriations from
/ 1855 10 1907. inclusive. for the naval es-
/ Enlistment were .092.5l2.977. The num-
Der Of petty officers and enlisted men
I in 1850 was $3.50. and in 1901 il was
I IS. 800.
! The tables which Mr.. Pulsifer has pre-
( pared show the following with respect 70
the naval strength Of the powers:
Great Britain 56 battle ships. S21, $50
/ tons; United States % battle ships. 4G6.I4
tons; France p battle ships. 36S. 46l tons;
! Germany S battle ships, 35S, ,46l tons;
Japan 13 battle ships. 1s1, ,49S tons.
| The total tonnage Of all fighting vessels
| Of these nations is. Great Britain, l.S2l.-
60; United States, Tiles; France, SS6,li2;
! Germany. $50, ,7S2; Japan. 451,32O.
The total number Of ships in the Eng
! lish navy is given as 454. in the United
States navy l6S In the French navy sos.
! in the Germany navy 210. in the japanese
navy iS4.
1t viii thus be seen that while the
United States has the least number of
/ ships Of these five powers she is still
| second in rank
/ The reason for the excess Of ships in
/ the French navy is found in the fact tha,
/ she has 2I1 torpedo boats and % subma-
| rines. while England has only II torpedo
boats and IS submarines. and the United
/ States only % torpedo boats and 70 sub
marines.