Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1883-01-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.


WASHINGTON January %, 1888.
Just al present it is the Navy that Congress
is talking about The Navy, mark you, the
Navy wants itself increased because forsooth,
it is the Laughing stock of Europe" If
there is any role the Navy cannot endure it is
the role of a laughing stock, hence every year
is repeated this catapult argument: ''our
Navy is the laughing stock of Europe" From
a naval point of view the Navy of the United
States lives, moves, and has its being as the
cynosure of European admiration. And to
be laughed at by Europe. Oh hsrrors. 1t
is fortunate for the United States that this
morbid love of admiration is confined mostly
to the official personnel of the Navy. All of
them have been to Europe at Government ex-
pense and the most that their travels has
taught them is to be ashamed of their country
because it does not live for war, and has fewer
and less imposing ships and guns than the
monarchies Of Europe which live to fight and
fight to live. II the United States should en-
deavor to remodel itself in every line in which
it is the laughing stock of Europe it would
have a stupendous task before it, and our ma
val Bunthornes may as well face their share of
European derision. But there is a lesson that
both Army and Navy official personnel should
begin to learn. Our traditions are not war
like our chief industry is not war; the flow
er of our population is not under arms We
have not and cannot have personal interest
in the armed balance maintained by the col
lossal, demoralizing, life and treasure sapping
blishments-remoyed from us. thank
heaven by three thousand miles of heaving
sea. If our Army and Navy officers feel
themselves detrop without war ships and ar
mics for a setting so much the worse for
their profession, and so much the better for
our country. The United States can well af-
ford to be laughed at for beating swords and
spears into instruments of husbandry, and if
We have fewer iron clads and guns than any
great European power, we, on the other hand,
have more threshing machines than all Of
them combined
There are st least three branches of the pub
lie service for which NE pay great deal aud
for which we have very little use. They are
tie Diplomatic, the Military and the Naval
establishments. 1t may be well to maintain
skeleton military and naval establishments as
a nucleus of National defence, but the diplo-
matte corps is an antiquity, utterly useless in
modern times We had no use for it before
. IL, al, J.
then it has had no shadow of excuse for re-
naming above ground.
There WAS spirited debate in Congress on
Saturday relative to the Naval bill and the
discussion will be continued to-day, but no
real reform need be expected until another
party has control oflesislation, and executive
matters.
During the course of the debate Mr.. Knott
of Kentucky said there were in commission
thirty steamag vessels, and for them there
were 293 engineer officers at an aggregate pay
OF S642, 900 for sea duty. Though these gen.
tlemen understood their duties theoretically,
he undertook to say that with the exception
of a few men like Melville, none OF them had
ever had a monkey wrench or an oil can in
their hands since they had been in service
Twenty-Five officers Of this engineer corps
were 50 loaded down with rank and dignity
that there was not a ship in the Navy big
enough to hold them. Ifsome indiscreet sec
reiary of the Navy should order a chief engi-
neer pay director, and a medical inspector
for duty on the same ship the vessel would
inevitably sink.
There was another corps of which the coun-
try has heard good deai-the marine corls
which had long list OF officers. The du-
tieg of every one of these officers could be as
well performed by an officer detailed from the
line of the Navy and if he had an opPortun
~ he would offer an amendment looking to
that result. lie would also offer amendments
for the gradual abolition of the pay corps,
and for reduction in the engineer corps.