New-York tribune., 1907-06-24
THE NEXT BATTLESHIPS.

Several days will probably elapse before nnal
action is taken in regard to the bids on the
new American battleships. From the retlcence
of the Navy Department concerning the propo-
sition made by the Brooklyn Navy YARD uh-
favorable differences have been drawn. but 1t
would be premature to conclude that neither OF
the 2OOO0ton ships is to be constructed there
The principle that cheapness is not always
recommendation is too we'll established to
Justify discrimination against builders whose
work has enduring merit The Connecticut
was built at the navy yard, and not few COM
petent judges believe that she is the best ship
under the flag.
When Congress decided to sanction an in
crease in displacement from 10000 TO 10000
tons fears were entertained by few conserv-
ative lawmakers that the step would involve
a great increase in expenditure Accordingly
the appropriation bill which authorized the new
policy prescribed that not more than $6OOOOOo
should be spent on either ship, apart from the
armor. So far as heard from. all OF the blds
are well within that limit The estimates Of
the Newport News company, for three or 1our
slightly different designs keep close TO S4-
100000 and those Of the corporation of which
Admiral Rowles is president fall below 81
200 600 Only the Cramps demanded more than
S5OO0OOO. On the face of the returns the o.
fers In regard 10 the ships themselves are sur
prisingly low.
On the other hand, the demands for armor
which constitutes an Independent item, show
a conspicuous advance on recently prevailing
rates Three or four years ago the government
paid upward of $40 a ton for armor The
NIidvaIe company, which had previously demon
strated its ability to deliver its product on con-
tract time and TO manufacture plate possess
ing exceptional merit forced the price down to
s345 last year The patronage was divided at
that time and probably will be now, as mat
ter of policy the minimum rate again dominat-
ing all Of the awards. The Midvale company
asks $40 ton this year, however, or 500 more
than it was willing to accept twelve months
ago For each of the new batueships 1000
tons of armor will be required, or nearly one
fourth of their total weight. This will add
81 100000 10 the outlay for a single vessel
whereas S1,600000 would have been enough
had prices remained unchanged.
To some extent, perhaps, an increase IN the
charge for armor might have been foreseen.
Even without having q secret understanding
with the other bidders the Midvale company
might have deemed its action perfectly sale
Whether or not the step was fully Warrahteu
bv economic conditions is another question
1t by no means follows that because there mas
been q general advance in the price or other
grades of steel in the last year or two the pro-
duction of armor Is any more expensive IMAM
II was The cost OF the latter Is governed al
most exclusively by the work expended on II and
to only a microscopic degree by the cost OF ue
material Itself special commission appon'ed
TO study the matter reported last winter TO MT.
Bonsparte that the government, II 1t had lis
own plant, could probably make the heaviest
plate it needed for a trife less than $500 ton
| Possibly some revision of that estimate might
be necessary to-day but If 1t still holds good the
! latest quotations guarantee TO the contractors
a profit OF 35 or 40 per cent or about nan
| million dollars for each big ship 1t may be III
| tha mower of Congress to save this amount if 1t
wishes TO do so.