The Ordway new era., 1908-02-28
LARGE Navy
IS NECESSARY
SENATOR PERKINS DEFENDS
GOVERNMENT POLICY AND
PLEADS FOR MORE SHIPS.
PRESENTS STATISTICS
OUR PACIFIC FLEET NEARLY AS
LARGE AS JAPAN'S
NAVY.

Washington. Senator Perkins OF
California Friday spoke in the Senate
IN Justification of expenditures for the
hlbuilding of the American navy and
~ ih" policy of sending the fleet into
the Pacific ocean
lie reviewed the achievements of
the navy and declared that it was the
most popular branch of the govern
nIont service
He gave statistics to prove that the
heavy expenditures on our navy since
lSN" have resulted in gigantic growth
iur our iron and steel Industries. nee
'kSiihtinS an enormous Increase in the
hi:iiher of men employed. with "A cor
responding benefit TO the nation
When the fleet now on its way to
San Francisco is joined by the other
effective vessels on the Pacific" Sen.
uor Perkins said. we shall have II
l'ci of eighteen baitlcships. eight
drnoled cruisers. thirteen projected
cruisers. thirteen destroyers. five tor
p"do loats and two submarines. The
batileships and cruisers alone. agGre-
gatc i-".l72 tons. while the other naval
power on the Paciiic-Japanesc-
only 1Si.I0l tons In all classes OF yes
sells. The Pacific fleet will be amply
able to protect our interests in that
ocean.
Attention was called to the un-
broken record of bravery which the
navy presents from its earliest begin
ming. and on the Pacific those who
man the vessels will have the examples
uf Commodort Sloat. Admiral Kim
b,rly and Admiral Dewey for inspira-
liIn.
Inc senator sketchcd the growth Of
III" rev navy from 1888 to the present
day when the United States has be-
come The second sea power in the world
suIrassing France by a small margin
IN the strength OF our lighting force
and for outstripping Germany, Russia
and Japan.
And this lead. he said, the United
States is easily able to maintain. BY
thurizing only two more battleships
OF The big gun type. this nation would
still lead France by 10000 tons in sea
iiphiin: force.
Reference was made to the change
in The character of battleships which
resulted from the lessons of the naval
engagements during the Russo-Japan-
csc WIZ. which taught the Importance
Of big ships carrying big guns. so that
brought within Il shorter battle line.
Hence all the naval powers are build
in% ships carrying only twelveinch
rifles for offensive purposes and COM
paiaIivcly few small rapid fire guns for
defense against torpedo boat attacks.
The cost of the vessels of the new
navy built. building or authorized Is
S3U9. .::I9 1870, while the total cxpcndi-
tuTpS an account of naval establish
mcnt since 1883 is sl.2Ii .G5l .O39." said
Mr.. Perkins. But this vast eXpcndi-
turc is not. as may be claimed by
some, Hnproductivc. The construction
of the ships of our navy gave such
stimulus to the iron trade that more
iron mills were established. better ma
terial was produced. prices were low
cred and iron and steel came into gen
eral use in all kinds of construction.
so that now we are the greatest iron
and steel manufacturers in the world.
In 1850 there were only 100000
wage carners in the iron and steel in
dustry of the country. earning S55.000.-
900 and turning out products worth
s29G. 900. 900. In 1905 there were S51.-
600 wage earners earning $iS2.0OO,OOO
and turning out products worth 81
l7G. 1000 900. The average wage in
creased from $400 to $500.
THE average wage of workmen In
the iron and steel industry 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 single
year will pay the entire cost of the
naval establishment since 1889"