Image 6 of The Republican journal (Belfast, Me.), August 17, 1905
Naval Strength of Argentina It is Absurdly Overrated The National Navy Yard Interesting Items Concern ing our Distant Sister Republic Special Correspondence of Tlie Journal Tigre Argentina July 1 1905 This queer little town where is the national navy yard of Argentina is about twenty miles from Buenos Ayres at the confluence of two riversthe Parana and Lujan Several torpedo boats and other small craft that make up the navy of the republic are always to be seen off shore It is diflicult to imagine how these boats could be of any use in case of emergency because the water is so shallowin many places barely two feet deep though fairly rough and with a very rapid current that no vessel with much draft could possibly be gotten out without a very slow and tedious trip up this branch of the Parana river to distant San Pedro and then down again by one of the main branches We are given to under stand however that the torpedo boats are maintained chiefly for the overaw ing of the neighboring republics and are expected to furnish more employ ment to painters than to gunners They are rarely ever in practice hut are