in his Department.

The report of the Secretary of the Navy contains a history of the
operations of his Department during the past year and exhibits a most
gratifying condition of the personnel of our Navy. He presents a
satisfactory account of the progress which has been made in the
construction of vessels and makes a number of recommendations to which
attention is especially invited.

During the past six months the demands for cruising vessels have been
many and urgent. There have been revolutions calling for vessels to
protect American interests in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica,
Honduras, Argentina, and Brazil, while the condition of affairs in
Honolulu has required the constant presence of one or more ships. With
all these calls upon our Navy it became necessary, in order to make up a
sufficient fleet to patrol the Bering Sea under the _modus vivendi_
agreed upon with Great Britain, to detail to that service one vessel
from the Fish Commission and three from the Revenue Marine.

Progress in the construction of new vessels has not been as rapid as
was anticipated. There have been delays in the completion of unarmored
vessels, but for the most part they have been such as are constantly
occurring even in countries having the largest experience in naval
shipbuilding. The most serious delays, however, have been in the work
upon armored ships. The trouble has been the failure of contractors to
deliver armor as agreed. The difficulties seem now, however, to have
been all overcome, and armor is being delivered with satisfactory
promptness. As a result of the experience acquired by shipbuilders and
designers and material men, it is believed that the dates when vessels
will be completed can now be estimated with reasonable accuracy. Great