Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-22
STRONG NAVY
is ADVOCATED
BY PERKINS
SENATOR FROM CALIFORNIA
DEFENDS WAR POLICY
POWERFUL FORCE TO BE MoBI-
LIED ON PACIFIC
Speaker Shows That Wages In Iron
and Steel viii More Than Pay
Cost of All Late
Vessels

BY 4 ssociated Press.

BY associated Press
WASHINGTON, Feb Ex-senator
Perkins of California today spoke in
the senate in justification of expendir
lures for the upbuilding of the Amer
lean navy and of the policy of sending
the fleet into the Pacific ocean.
He reviewed the achievements of the
navy and declared that it was the most
popular branch of the government SER
vice.
when the fleet now on its way to
San Francisco is Joined by the other
effective vessels on the Pacific he
said, 1--WE shall have a fleet of eighteen
battleships, eight armored cruisers,
thirteen protected cruisers, thirteen
destroyers, five torpedo boats and two
submarines. The battleships and
cruisers alone aggregate 432,172 tons,
while the other naval power on the
Pacific-Japan-ha only 701 tons in
all classes of vessels. The Pacific feet
will be amply able to protect our In
terests In that ocean,
Attention was called to the unbroken
record of bravery which the navy pre-
sents from its earliest beginning and
ON the Pacific those who man the ves-
sells will have the example of Commo-
dore Sloat, Admiral Kimberley and
Admiral Dewey for inspiration.
Sketches Growth of Navy
The senator sketched the growth of
the new navy from 1888 to the present
day, when the United States has be-
come the second sea power in the
world. surprising France by small
margin i'm the strength of our fighting
force and far outstripping Germany.
Russia and Japan. And this lead, he
said, the United States is easily able
to maintain. BY authorizing only two
more battleships of the big gun type
this nation would still lead France by
10000 tons in sea fighting force.
Reference was made to the change
In the character of battleships which
resulted from the lessons of the naval
engagements during the Russo-Jap-
anese war. which taught the indepen-
dence of the big ships carrying big guns
so that a greater weight of metal can
be brought within a shorter battle line.
Hence all the naval powers are build
ing slips carrying only 12-iilch rifles
for offensive purposes and a compara-
lively few small rapid-flre guns for de-
tense against torpedo attacks.
"The cost of the ships for the new
navy built, building or authorized Is
$309, ,359, 100, while the total expenditures
on account of naval estimates since
1893 is 81 ,244, ,651, ,029,' said Mr.. Perkins.
"But this vast expenditure is not, as
may be claimed by some, unproductive.
navy gave such stimulus to the iron
trade that more mills were established,
better material was produced, prices
were lowered and iron and steel came
into general use in all kinds of con-
struction, SO that now we are the great
est iron and steel manufacturers in the
world. In 1880 there were only 100000
wage earners in the iron and steel in
dustry of the country, earning $55, ,000,-
900 and turning out products worth
$296, 900, 900
"In 1905 there were 81, 900 wage earn
ers earning $3.50, 900 and turning out
products worth Salts, 000,0 900. The av-
erage wage increased from $4o0 to $500.
Wages VIII Pay Cost
1.-THE average wages of workmen in
the iron and steel industries Will today
more than pay the cost of all the YES
sells of our new navy built building or
authorized, and one-half the value OF
the iron and steel product for a single
year will pay the entire cost OF the
naval estimate since 1883.
''That the encouragement given this
industry by the construction of ships
of war had a very potent influence IN
bringing about this result cannot be
doubted; and there is hardly an indus
try in the land that has not been bene-
flied in a similar way, though not per-
maps in so marked way. iho 'ioiioy
expended on the ships OF war was not,
therefore, an economic loss judged by a
single trade alone
The senate adopted the Tillman reso.
luton authorizing the attorney general
to prosecute the transportation COM
panies Of Oregon that have received
public lands and have violated the
terms of the grant.
The senate adjourned at 4:lo 2. M
1,ntil tonno1-row when Senator McCum-
her of North Dakota will read WASH
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