Year: 1870

1


made 80 apparent during the rebellion that the


people of the country wish TO see 1t Kept up on


scale commensurate with the greatness OF


our Institutions We are great nation In all


things. Our railroads surpass in extent any


thing of the kind in the world our floating
| palaces on the North and East rivers arc un-


eoualled; when we had merchant ships they


were superior to all others our public build


ings at Washington are equal to the best in


Europe and our public and private institu-


tions of all kinds challenge the envy Of the
world. We have naval prestige also that
sticks to us, although we have but few naval
ships, and our private workshops win vie with
any in England, if they only receive that lib
eral supper. which is given to those of England
by their government. We possess the best of
timber and iron, and are Independent of other
nations in rigging, canvas and equipments Of
all kinds. What else, then, do we want to
make us great naval Power but the fostering
been spent hitherto in our navy, and yet the
result is that we are left with one hardly worth
mentioning, from the fact that professional
naval men, who have the charge Of the fleets
of other nations are ignored in this country.
The navy is thus left in the hands of politi-
clans, who cannot be supposed to understand
| its wants or have any knowledge OF its de-
tails.


Up to 1912 our naval affairs were controlled
by certain number of senior officers of the
navy, called the Board of Naval Commits
soners, and history shows that, considering
| its size, our navy would compare most favor
ably with the best in Europe. Our three
| deckers were the heaviest known, our frigates
| the fastest, and our small craft the handiest
| little vessels extant for breaking up piracy and
running down privateers. When the board of
experts or naval commissioners were left out
in the cold, and the bureau system, without pro-
| per balances, was adopted, wild schemes were
undertaken without responsibility and with no
| knowledge of the real wants of the navy.
| Had not our mercantile marine come to the as
sistance of the nation in the darkest hour of
her need there is no knowing where we should
have been at this time. 1t was to the machine
shops of our great cities that we were
indebted for the numerous steamships and
steam engines that were built during the rebel
lion. Much of the steam machinery, it is
trne, now encumbers our navy yards, and is in
measure useless from having been con-
strncted on wrong principles by person who
was allowed to squauder the public money;
| but it stands as monument to the ability of
our mechanics to construct as large engines as
| any in Europe On these same shops we shall
have to depend in time OF war for a fresh
supply, and if the rebellion served no
other good purpose it certainly was eflec-
tive in bringing out the talen. of our


machine builders and demonstrating their
ability to supply the government with


engines of any required description. Most
| of the great machine shops OF this conn
try are in New York. The necessity for them


is the greatest here; for here congregate from
time to time the one hundred and seventeen


great steamships that weekly wend their way
from our shores to Europe and depend on
these machine shops for their repairs.
| These works will increase in number and
| Importance as the steam lines increase, and
|
removal of the Brooklyn yard to New London
when such adjuncts as these are to be left
behind? On these works we shall have to
| depend in the future; and instead Of building
up great shops in our navy yards for the con-


structon of machinery, all the engines planned


for the navy should be built by contract at


private establishments.


This is the policy of the British government,


and it is dictated by motives of economy; for it


is well known by their naval authorities that


engines made at government yards cost twice


as much as those built by private individ-


uas and are not half as good after ALL
A board of naval comm ssioners would soon


ascertain that fact from comparing the cost Of


such engines as are made at government yards


with those constructed at private establish


ments, and, having been taught lesson from
the failures of the past eight years, they would
prevent an inefficient engineer from palning
| off upon the service engines built on exploded
| theories and fit only for the scrap heap.
F.! The first step in proper reorganization OF
the navy is to place the management OF the pro-


fessonal part in the hands Of those who have
been identified with it from boyhood; who


know the best men in it; who will guard


against frauds; prevent people from growing
fat on contracts, and who, from their high


standing, can satisfy Congress that the money


asked for the support Of the navy is really


needed. When this is done let us begin to


build anew, sell all the nondescript ships and


let them go into the coal business, for which


they are best suited. A number Of them that


were sold by the government have gone into


the coal and coasting trade, for which they


are well adapted, especially in the route be-


tween New York and Boston.


We have full faith that the time is not far


distant when our navy will begin to again hold