that we need have little anxiety on the score of the army. We have a
large State Militia always at the service of the country, and we have
the right to call on all able-bodied citizens between the ages of
eighteen and forty-five for military service in case of need. This
brings the number of men capable of bearing arms in our defense up to
the number of ten millions.

Our army, therefore, is on a satisfactory basis.

With our navy, things are different. It has come to be a recognized fact
among nations that countries who wish to be respected abroad must have a
sufficient naval force to compel that respect when necessary.

Our navy is not as large as the importance of our country demands, and
it is the intention of the Secretary of the Navy to ask Congress to
make appropriations to enable him to have several new ships built.

Meanwhile he is in a good deal of difficulty over the armor for the
ships that are being built.

Armor is a covering of thick steel plates with which all the modern
battleships are supplied. It is intended to protect their hulls from the
cannon-balls and projectiles that are now used in warfare.

There are three ships now building for the Government, the _Illinois_,
_Alabama_, and _Wisconsin_, and the cause of the trouble is that no firm
can be found willing to supply the armor-plate for the price fixed by
Congress.

This price is $300 per ton.