The New York herald., 1879-01-31
CORRECTING SENATOR BLAINE.


THE SHIPS. OFFICERS AND MEN IN THE NAvrEs
OF GREAT BBrTAIN AND THE UNITED STATES.
To THE EDITOR HERALD
Win you permit an outsider" having no connec-
ton with the navy to say lard in your valuable
paper by way of correcting the remarkable state
ments OF Senator Blaine. made few days ago. on the
passage of the Naval Appropriation bill in the Son.
ate? To have made the statement that there were
over two thousand officers in the American navy TO
only $500 men allowed by law and nnety-one ships
in all in the service. while in the British navy there
are 1890 officers, who manage $4,000 men and 49l
ships. is not creditable in Senator who is the
Committee on Naval Affairs. nor in fact for any
who attempts to speak that subject Now, with
the royal navy list of july 1875 before me- and the
Navy Register of the United States for the date
extract from them the following facts in relation to
the number of officers ships and in bothat that
time:-
THE BRITISH NAvyl
In the British navy the whole number OF ships pro-
there were on the stocks building. II; transport
ships u small vessels used tenders to large ships,
So; tugs, 81; out OF commission, laid up, 270; in
commission and in active service. 1885, Besides the
foregoing there 1873, chiefly sailing ships and gen.
orally nns for other service. used FOR har1or 20.
line officers on the active list of the navy manned
by sailors OF the regular service.
In the British navy the active list in July, 1878.
there are the following officers OF the ine:-Ad-
nirals. 10; vcc admras, II; admiras. 20; cap
tans and staff captains 1S4; commanders. 200 star
commanders. 81; lieutenants, s26; navigating lieu
tenants, 134; subheutenants, 249; navigating sub
lieutenants, 56 mdshipmen and navigating midship-
men. 22i; naval cadets who have graduated from
training school, 52making i'll all 20S3 officers in ac-
tive service Besides these there are 4l4 officers OF
various grades kept reserves and not on active
duty making grand total OF officers OF the line in
the British naval service OF 2503.
Now i'll the Engineers Department there are, OF all
grades, sI3 in the Medical Department of all grades.
43s; in the Pay Department. 4O6; chaplains s7 and
10000. as Mr.. Blaine asserts. This shows officer
of the line to every twelve seamen. In order to
make up the ne eqooo ~ IN the bras a navy mr. Sa,ne
both artillery and light infantry, about 16 900 men;
and where the remainder OF the G0.00O could be OBJ
tanned Except from the coast guard. which are not
sailors at all) it is not easy to see
AMERICAN NAVY.
Now the American navy, rs shown ct same date,
has:-Admiral, Ii vice admiral, /; admiras. IL;
commodores, 25; captains. 80; commanders. SO;
,oo s sutenants 2s4
making total of 766 officers Of the line the active
list and not 2oOO Mr. Blaine stated At the same
ranks in the Pay Department, 131; in the Engineer
Department, 227 and chaplains, "A. or ships Of all
whole or part by steam we have 90 and Of sailing
vessels offcered and manned II. The law limits the
number of sealnen to 500, making one otcer OF the
line to every 8 or 10 seamen.
DUTIES NAVAL OFPIcERs.
But it must be borne in mind that the American
naval officers detailed to serve in caring for the
lighthouses upon the whole coast, while no regular
officer of the British navy is detailed for such duty;
and viii not more than two line officers on
duty at the navy and dock yards i'll Great Britain
much greater number OF American line officers so
employed. Then the American officers are detailed
in larger proportional numbers to tho coast survey
than employed in Great Britain. So that the num-
Der Of line officers left for active duty on cruising
ships is not large in proportion to the service re-
quired as in the British service.
Another thing to be noted is the much larger
amount of service that our otcers perform at
the same grade than in tho British service.
1t is no unusual thing for captain In tho American
service to have service more than twenty years at
sea- while 1t rarely occurs in the British service to
officers OF that grade Besides the fact that 1t has
always been the policy OF our government IN both
army and navy, in time of peace to keep larger
proportion of officers to men than in peace are re-
quircd, i'll order to be expanded should war occur.
1t to he borne i'll mind. that the ships IN
the British service much larger than those i'll our
own navy. The larger proportion OF the ships OF
the British navy ins active service is composed OF
ships of from three thousand tons to ten or eleven
Thousand tons, while ours are generally no more
than ten twelve hundred tons. or very much less.
Now the officers of the line necessarily tho same
on board small or large ship There must be
captain, executive navigating and watch aud division
officers on each. and i'll about the same numbers; numbers;
the large ships in the British service. Thus 1t is
that more officers in proportion to the men are re-
the British service Did the time and space permit to
exhibit the proportion OF officers. ships and men in
the French navy it would show vastly more favor
able relation in our own service On the whole from
somewhat extensive acquaintance with the services
Of naval officers think they perform as much IS the
cthcers OF any navy in the world.
THE NAVY YARDS.
Now as to the navy yards of the two nations.
There is no doubt at present wo do not need seven
yards, but have them. and in the future growth
OF the nation soon may need them. and We're any
OF them sold the avails or the sale might 60 where
the .woodbine twineth," did the avails of the
Philadelphia yard. But it is not true that Great Bri
tain has only two four She has one of vast
capacity at Portsmouth and one At Devonport ut
Chatham. one ut shesrness and one at Pembroke at
home, while she has dockyards where any repairs
be made at Gibraltar at MALTA. at Halifax st Ber-
nluda, at Jamaica at Cape OF Good Hepe. at Ascen-
sion, at Trincomalee and at Hong Kong.
So that there within the reach of every squadron
OF the British navy in every quarter of the globe the
facilities FOR repairs.
SO much for comparison OF the two services.
And what now is most needed to regain our ancient
position the is not sensational speeches based
upon ignorance Of iacts but suitable appropriation
by Congress. every year. of money enough To build
two three ships of first rate cruising capacity and
to have besides politicians to that 1t is
honestly expended. 1t is a shame and disgrace TO
the government that such large sums of money were
wasted between 1866 aud the accession OF the present
head OF the Navy Department. A CIVILIAN.
3 JANUARY %, 1879.