partment at Washington is that 'the lack of important naval battles in recent years stands in marked contrast to the desperate efforts of European powers to equip extraordinary vessels designed to combine the invulnerable and the irresistible. A war of moderate duration between first-class naval powers would prove that a balance of advantages, unsuspected by many, rests with that vessel which has comparative simplicity, even though it be concomitant with a greater exposure of life, a lower speed, and reduced powers of offence.' This seems to me admirably put, but I think the argument for simplicity applies also to the armament.
Two of these battle ships are to be built by Messrs Cramp, of Philadelphia, and the third at the Union Iron Works, San Francisco. At both yards cruisers have been completed in which the workmanship has proved to be excellent.
In addition to the cruisers already mentioned, some others have been, or shortly will be, commenced. The most powerful is the 'New York,' a vessel of about 8000 tons, combining external and internal armour. The former consists of a 5-in. belt opposite the machinery, while the interior of the ship has a protective deck running the whole length, with sloping sides, which portion will be 6 in. thick, while the remainder will be 3 in. There will be a barbette forward and aft, also on each broadside. Two 8-in. guns will be mounted in the bow and stern barbettes, and a single gun of the same calibre in the broadside barbettes. There will also be an auxiliary armament of twelve 4-in.
