The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-02-05

6OpuIdf IdldC1SS DIE udFu. eSpSCldI1S
| when they are kept alive by persistent
and interested misrepresentation. A
notable instance of this is the state
ment so often made and too widely be
heved, that it costs great deal more
and takes considerably longer TO build
! battleship at a government navy
yard than it does at private ship
I yard. There was a time, it is true
| when nayy-yard built ships were very
costly, and took an uncOnSciOnable
time to complete; but that was over
twenty years ago, when political con
troll Of navy yards was rampant and
before certain courageous young ma
val constructor, who later became
chief constructor of the navy, under
I took the task of rescuing our navy
yards from political control, reform
ing their many abuses, and putting
them in f1rst-class working shape. 1t
was the regeneration Of these yards
which rendered it possible for them to
take hold Of the highest class of naval
work and complete it in the same
time, and for only slightly more cost.
than the best of our private yards.
This was clearly proved, some years
. later, in the construction of the large
modern battleship, the Connecticut. at
the New York navy yard. when the
work was carried through SO eXpedt-
tiously that the private yard which
had taken the contract for the sister
ship had to extend itself to the utmost
TO keep pace with the government
built ship. One of the main objects
Of giving work of new construction to
the navy yards was to spur the ,pri-
vate builders to greater activity; for
up to that time 1t was a notorious
fact that the government contract
work was treated as kind of standby
in the private yards, the first atten-
tion being given TO orders for private
firms. The record made by the Con-
necticUt for rapid construction has
acted as a most effective spur to the
private yards. and our latest warships.
in spite Of their greater size, are be-
ing built in from so to 60 per cent
Of the time taken to build the earlier
ships.
The agitation in favor of navy-built
ships originated within the navy it.
self, and its most effective advocate
was the naval constructor above re-
ferred to, Mr.. Francis T. Bowles. who
subsequently left the navy and is now
the president OF one OF the great ship
yards upon which the government de-
ponds mainly for the construction OF
its new navy. The most complete and
convincing presentation of the argu-
ments in favor of navy-built ships is
that made by Mr.. Bowles in the year
1900 before congressional commit
tee On naval affairs appointed to con-
slider this question. Just now, when
the question is again being agitated
it would be impossible to find a better
brief for the case than this testimony
Of the former constructor.
In his evidence before the commit
tee, Mr.. Bowles stated that the first
advantage of bui' ding ships in navy
yards is that it maintains the eff
ciencv of the mechanical force and of
the plant and shops. The reason that
we have navy yards is to provide our
selves with the means of equipping
and keeping our ships in good order
for purposes of war: and. with that
end in view. and in the light of our
recent experiences, It is essential that
the organization OF mechanical force
and the equipment should be kept in
an efficient condition.
Now. If in these yards which are
essential to the object of the navy,
we should keep a Vessel or two yes
sells building all the time, we would
have a nucleus OF a complete force,
and 1t would be necessary, in order to
do that work with a reasonable de-
gree Of economy, that our yards should
be kept in good order.
The fact that a vessel is building
in navy yard makes il possible to
conduct the repair work of the feet
economically and rapidly. because. If |
a vessel comes i'll for repairs. as soon
as it is determined what II IS neces- !
sary to do. the force is available, and |
every shop is in working order, and |