The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

1900.] MARINE REVIEW. 13 SSS SESS SSIES accor eee MONROE DOCTRINE AND OUR NAVY. Capt. A. T. Mahan in an article in the current issue of Leslie’s Weekly on the subject of “The Monroe Doctrine and Our Navy” says: “The settlement and growth of our Pacific coast, the increasing com- mercial consequence of the Pacific coast, and the questions arising about China, its future government and its trade, make it necessary to connect our Atlantic and gulf seaboard with the Pacific by a canal across the Central American isthmus, establishing thereby a consecutive water com- munication between the two, as well as shortening the access from our eastern shores to Asia. The isthmus and its immediate surroundings thus become the greatest of our external interests. Scarcely secondary to them is the Caribbean sea, because all sea roads to the isthmus run through it, and it contains many strong positions, the acquisition of which by a for- midable European state would in war endanger our shipping—mercantile and naval alike—passing between our Atlantic ports and the Pacific by the canal. “We must remember that other nations, and especially European—be- cause the most active—are interested likewise in using that canal, and for the support of their interests in gaining positions. To their doing so we oppose the Monroe doctrine. Therefore, if we intend to make good the affirmations of the latter, we must be prepared to resist, forcibly if need be, any attempt to obtain adjacent territory or ports which may serve as stations-for a navy hostile to ourselves. It is natural that European nations should wish such positions; that Germany for instance, as has been lately rumored, should wish the Danish. islands—St. Thomas, ete. fey W. A. CoLuiEr, INFORMAT TALK ON COMPRESSED AIR. BY J. L. PILLING.f+ It has been my privilege in connection with my avocation to visit about all the establishments where compressed air is used in the United States, and without fear of contradiction I will say that with very few ex- ceptions I have not seen a properly constructed air plant in my travels. The theoretical points of air compression have been understood from time immemorial, but the most essential, practical and economical points which are in demand today have not been touched upon. Compressed air will go as much below its normal temperature in expansion as it goes above in compression; therefore the larger the ex- haust port and shorter the exhaust passage the less liability of icing up the tool. Air compressors are as near perfect as we may expect to see them for years to come. The trouble lies not in the compressor but in the manner in which the compressor is connected up to the receiver and taken therefrom. A receiver is not for an accumulation—as many think— only at the third stage. First it is for condensing surface; second to take care of the pulsation of the compressor, and third for an accumulation. By all means connect discharge pipe from the compressor near the top of the receiver. Take the outlet to the main line about one foot from the bottom of the receiver. Have the receiver so placed that the outside atmosphere can circulate around it. Have a blow-off cock with a very short connection at the bottom. If conditions are such that a horizontal receiver must ‘be used, connect the discharge from compressor on top of the receiver at one end; connect the outlet to the main line at the other R. P. THowpson, M.H.Warpwew., Le. Brogan, L. Laurensuacer, 'W.'H. Hit, T.F.Newman, Puinip ScHIrp, Gen. Mgr. Sault St. Marie. Secretary. Cleveland, Chicago. Erie. President. Ashtabula. S. E. Leonarn, B. B. Inman, J, R. SINCLAIR, Gro. BARTLEY, A.S. Hanp, Lorain. Duluth, Chicago. Escanaba. Conneaut. OFFICERS AND MANAGERS OF THE GREAT LAKES TOWING CO. Her right to buy them is as good in international law as ours; the Monroe doctrine depends not upon legal right, but upon the moral right of our indispensable interests, and derives its chief support from the fact that it is not worth while to incur our enmity, pushed perhaps to the extent of war. “Now the one preparation for war, in a maritime region like the. Caribbean, is a navy large enough to be effective. ‘Ports are quite sec- ondary. They are necessary to a navy which needs a local base of opera- tions; but they are useless without, especially in the Caribbean, because conditions there are so backward as to give no local resources. ‘Positions: held there not only must be fortified, but everything to support shipping must be imported, and a steady stream of supply maintained. This can only be done by the navy keeping the sea open, while at the same time securing our other merchant shipping. To do these things, which is called controlling the sea, the navy should, strictly, be superior to any which can be brought against it; but this extreme conclusion is qualified by other circumstances, such as our nearness to thé Caribbean sea, our national power through our. great resources, the dangers to-which our possible opponents may be exposed in other quarters and from other en- emies. We cannot in the near future expect to have a navy nearly as large as that which Great Britain must keep, but it is easily within our means to rival that of France or Germany. the only European states, other than Great Britain, whose general interests might lead them actively to dispute the maintenance of the Monroe doctrine. | “Reflection upon this condition will indicate the size necessary to our own war fleet, and also the wisdom of cultivating those cordial relations to which Great Britain has invited us which our interests and our institu- tions advise, and the existence of which will put it out of the power or wish of any other state to quarrel with us about the Monroe doctrine. It is to the interest of Great Britain that we should take naval charge of the American isthmus, provided she can feel sure that we will do it effectively; that our preparations and our deeds will answer to the words of Washing- ton and Monroe,” extreme, but as low as possible, as long as it is above the fore and aft line of the receiver. : ; Why all this? On a clear day there are eight grains of water to a cubic foot of air, and foreign matter in suspension. Through the com- pression heat is generated. Heat will always rise. As long as the air is above its normal condition in temperature the moisture and ingredients are in suspension. Moist air is a friction; moist steam 1s a lubricant. It will therefore be readily understood what a receiver is for, and why it should be connected up as I have already stated. If under these condi- tions the air is still warm as it leaves the receiver, then the receiver is not large enough, or the compressor is too small, or both. This argument will hold good even if an intercooler is used as on a compound com- pressor. Precipitate the moisture in your receiver—that is what it is for. By so doing you will have no trouble with your main line freezing, and you will obtain better results from your pneumatic tools which are as finely constructed as any piece of mechanism on earth. Treat them as such; give them good dry air; increase their efficiency by so doing, and lessen your repair bill. +Mr. Pilling is with the Q. & C. Co., Chicago. NAVY TO PURCHASE TOOLS. A Washington special says that tool builders may soon expect another large order from the navy department. The deficiency bill, which re- cently passed congress, carried with it an appropriation of about $2,500,- 000 for the bureau of construction and repair and as only four months remain in the official year it is understood that Admiral Hichborn has instructed his representatives at the navy yards to prepare their list of tools at once in order that contracts may be made for them out of the deficiency appropriation. It is not likely that the department will ad- vertise for the tools but will buy them through the navy purchasing offi- cials,