Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-11-27
Qua NAVY,
Facts Brought Out by the Prevalent
RumOrs Of War with Spain-0ur
Minister Of Marine.
The Expensive and Useless NaVy-Yards
Our Fleets-Our Navy Before
and Since the War.
From our Regular Correspondent


pretty well blown over, have served {
direct attention to that arm Of the S.
vi that would be most available in a
attack upon an island which, Ike Eos
land, has sn ancient and natural ally
old OcsaD. The navy department
moreover, will BE- among the first Of tn
| long lis. of frauds that tho incOmip,
Democratic congress is likely to investi
! gate, and it may not bs amiss at thi
! time to glance at cur naval establish
ment at home and abroad.
Our naval minister, it is we'll known
is George M. Robson, civilian of abou
| fifty autumns, of generous vintage. H,
is mediocre New Jersey lawyer, with
out appreciable qualifications for hi
present position, and there can be u
d0uOt that there are thousands OF com
mon seamen in the service, better ac
quainted with the wants of the navy
and more keenly alive to its interests
The navy department, proper, here in
Washington, consists, like all the de.
psrtmen s, in al aggregation of bureaux.
There are eight in all-Uiz: the bureau OF
Washington bureau Of yards and decks,
bureau of construction and repair, of or
dinance, Of equipment and recruiting,
OF provisions and clothing, of steam en-
cheering and Of medicine and surgery.
Each Of.tbese bureauX is presided over
by chief of bureau, a naval officer,
usually of the rank of commodore, q
grade corresponding to that of brigadier-
general IN the srmy. Each chief of
bureau has his chief clerk and corps
OF subordinate clerks, ranging in mum.
Der according to the importance of the
Bureau. The bureau Of navigation, for
instance, includes the naval observatory,
the nautical almanac, and hydrographic
offices, each with large body of clerks
and employees. The chiefs Of bureau
draw salary of about forty-five hum
dred dollars; the clerks, from twelve
hundred 10 eighteen hundred dollars per
annum.
The business OF the department is con.
Quoted almost exclusively through these
buTeaux. fhe Incompetent secretary of
the navy has 8 competent chief CLERK,
VINO has grown old in the service: he
opens all official communications to the
secretary, and refers them, for CONSIDER.
alton, 10 the bureau to which they per.
tain.
We have expensive and useless navy
yards at Portsmc uth, New York, Bos-
ton, Pniladelphis, Washington, Nor
folk, Pensacola and San Francisco. All
Of these, except, perhaps, the yards at
New York, Norfolk ana San Francisco,
might be dispensed with. This would
leave US two yards on the Atlantic coasy
and one on tie less important Pacific.
coast. The reduction would no more de-
tract from the efficiency of the navy
than would the concentration Of troops
from the strength of the army. Millions
Of dollars would be saved annually, and
4 means or most pernicious DO
itical corruption would be removed
rom number of congressional
Each Of these yards
lucrative sinecure to a com:
nandRnt and host of minor officials.
% say nothing of clerks, messengers,
lsborers, etc. l will saw
lere that all the clerks, cOpyists, etc,
IRE civilians. The young naval officers,
Who have been educated by the govern.
nent, do Bot soil their dainty fingers
With ink, and seem to consider it be-
heath their gentility to write g. good
hand. II one of them is detailed for
ervice ia at requires thirty minutes wit |
ng per day, he has to have q writer en- |
,lOyed, for which, of course, the gov.
pays. So much for our naval |
at home.
We have at sea six fleets, the Euro. |
,ean, Asistic, North-AtIsntic, South |
Atlantic, North. Pacific and South-Pa-
life. The fleets consist each of about |
i've vessels, commanded by an admiral,
md are engaged in the patriotic work |
4 making US respected abroad, which
rduOus service is performed in this
nhirur forain-n
3rest, for instance, the brave admiral
Ioists the French national ensign to the
ore, and proceeds to salute the com.
nandant of that port, after having first
ssured himself that the salute will be
eturned gun for gun. He then hoists
be flag of any other nation or nations
nat may have ship in that port, and
roeeeds to salute them likewise. 1t
happens that several nations
re represented in a ralticIlar port.
heir respective flags are run up in turn
be firing is prolonged throughout the
ey, and the amount of powder wasted
enormous.
AS coon as cur first-elsss nationality
as been vindicated in this thunGeriBg
,anner, our brave officers are ready to
sceive the Inequalities OF the authori-
CO VI N1C BOtt1 anu dllCl W WlL6 |
nd dine them, aud the officers Of the
vessels, on board the admit
al's flag ship. The fleet remains week
I two at the pleasure OF the admiral.
he same thing is repeated at Toulop,
'erseilles, Barcelona, Trieste, or wheI-
YER the fleet may sail. The energies
nd morale of the officers are impaired
= q continuous round of effemiuating
SaI - L, z |
le port, demOTaiiZes and scandalizes
he navy, ruins the digestion, and shat
rs the nerves of the officers.
Our navy was, before the war, an
and effective organization;
ut since Admiral Porter has gained
lie ascendancy it has become an eX-
ensive luxury for US, and the butG OF
dicule abroad. Christopher Columbus
me years ago was able with his simple
ait and primitive nautical education, ,
lthout the assistance of pilot or hydro
-aphlc chart, To effect landing on our
lost dangerous coast. But our naval
hcers, after an expensive education at
nnapolis, with the assistance Of the
ost perfect chsrt', with the improve
ents OF four centuries in navigation,
nd with steamships that defy the winds
II lD6J dIc OIutTou W take VeSSei !
ON Washington to Fortress Monroe,
i'll call on board pilot and surrender
lie ship to his care. The government
'ys yearly considerable sum for q Iots
70 alone.
Last session indignant Democratic
amor forced Republican congress to
point committee to go through the
rec Of an inspection Of cur numerous
avy-ysrds, with a view to their reduc- :
On. The willy navy department gave
e committee into the hands of that
hester6eld OF the service Admiral
Odgsrs. They were taken aboard the
Dverrment pleasure yacht Dispatch, :
I'd it is doubtful il the king of the lob |
: himself, grown wary in the arts of
duction, ever subjected simple senators
such dainty ostering, delicate eating
I'd skilful manipulation. Toe COM :
ittee returned enamored with the I
IVY and that part of mankind repre-. :
nred By themselves. The result OF the !
was, of course. nothing. 1t '
believed and hoped that the next c
mmittee will be made Of sterner stuff,
I'd that it will visit the yards incoonito, {
hich is the only way for committee J
inspect anything from public school
q navy department. FOUCHE.