The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-11
THE ARMY And NAVY.
First Annual Reports Of Sccre-
tarie5 NndicOtt and whitney.
A Years Operations Of the War
and Navy Departments

The first half of tho first annual report of
William G. Whitney, secretary of the navy,
comprises bricHy tho usual routine of the
department bureaus for the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1851 After describing the loca-
ton of the different sluadrons, he draws a
dolefu picture of our navy yards. 1t appears
that this property, ''aggresating in value
some fifty million dollars" is falling rapidly
into condition of extreme decay The re
ports from the yards make frequent con-.
plant of buildings falling or about to fall;
roofs leaking to such an extent as to involve
the destruction of property stored under
meath; wharves so rotten that persons cannot
walk over them i'll safety; stone dry docks
which are required to he shored up with tim
Der; bal roadway defective water pipes,
AMI in general such extent of decay
and dilapid1tion as TO imply general
destruction. The report says: III it is
the policy of Congress to maintain the navy
yards as shlpyard5, workshops, or depots of
supply, it is manifest that tho work OF put
ting the buildings, wharves and other ap.
purtenauces in proper repair should he un-
dertaken at once, and should he kept up
from year to year, as the only alternative
must he the abandonment of all this pro. ,. rty
to waste and ruin"
In behalf OF Tie Bureau Of Navigation he
recommends increased appropriations TO
cure better system Of coast surveys, which
are urgently nee led.
He concurs III the view of Constructor
Wilson that it should he the policy of the
government to maintain one large navy
yard. combining in itself the advantages and
facilities OF all the others. and advocates
League Island as the most advantageous sit.
Tor this purpose. lie believes THAI in this
ca-e ut least one-half our steel ships coull bc
built in our navy yards i'll competition with
outside establishments.
Mention is made of the successful opening
of the Naval War college ut Annapolis un-
der direction OF Rear admiral Luce. The
/ instruction consists OF lectures on military
science, the art OF naval warfare and marine
international law. This meets a serious want.
The net amount drawn by the department
on warrants during the last fiscal year was
/ Sli,J31, ST., leaving balance OF Si,O>S,-
90. %, which with the amount uneXpended
| in the hlntis of pay officers, leaves an aggre-
| gate uneXpendcd balance of S2,3j3, 90. -. The
| money spent THIS year is SJJ5, 1j5.ji less than
| the net amount drawn in the fiscal year end
| ing Junc3D 1854.
/ The navy estimates t be presentel to Con-
/ gre5s for the next ifs al year amount to
! So, 1914 ,695. -, in whi Ii sum are embraced es
J Inmates for new OBJECTS, not those ordinarily
| for the service, amounting to SlG,uiJ,gjO.3l
I leaving for the customary purposes OF tho
/ service $l9.p3i, i4L9I They embrace: For
iucrea5A of tn, navy @iO.1O3, 40: tor the com.
p.eton and arm ,me 1t Of the double -turretei
monitors, >h2D!,GjG. and for public works
| anl improvements at the yards and stations,
/ Sl,HON, 3bG II.
Mr. Whitney devotcs considerable sYare TO
/ a history Of his controversy with John Roach,
/ already familiar to the puu,lC The secretary
+ favors chan .ing the wll.c system SO lolg in
vogue AMI compelling the de artmant here
. afr to mature all plans and specifications
. thoroughly before a Ivert,iUg TOR contracts.
lie has adopted this plan already in prepar-
in- for the constru 'tiDn o. the two additional
cruisers and two gunboats, at a cost Of nearly
$3,OOOOo', authorized by the last session OF
, Congress
Attention is drawn to the importance
| other countries attach to the torpedo boat
rs a branch of naval warfare b. n tabular
statement Of those possessed AMI in process Of
construction. The United States Lave none ;
/ England las IN, and - nor, ordered {;
Russ a has 1871, ami II ordered; France has
s.. and ;, ordered Germany has t. and 81
ordered, and even China has >, and 10 more
| ordered.
The last La of Mr.. Whitney's report is de-
voted t. review of what he calls long
standing abuses in the navy, and to suggest
ing rene les He reviews the history our
nJva, construction since the wa. From
/ Isis t. the present tlma over S'ycItN-tiVe
/ millions have been spent on construction, re
. PAR and or lNanCc Of lis, Tor which we
have pra 'ticai,y nothing to show. We have
rot Il single vessel aioat that coull en-
counter the ships Of any important power.
: ia. the report says, has been chiefly because
We Lave mot awaited ourselves OF the Scien-
and arm1ring \ naval vessel now is a
/ product o. science Each part OF her is
] absorbing the exclusive study of scientific
men. We have made no provision for keep
ing pace with this march of science, and
hence can show nothing OF power in modern
/ naval warfare our educational ground
work is years behind the age, he secretary
adds
s,'I find mys IL forcel, therefore, to the
conviction that everything connected with
the construction and equipment OF our navy
Is done with too little deliberatiun. and that
under the present organization of the depart
meut thi, cannot lie otherwise. | have oc
casion to know that the amounts found t.
have been expended upon the Omaha anC
upon the "Mohican" surprised no persons
more than the bureau officers who had been en-
gagged upon the work Seein,; the ill-advis =,
and mconsiderate manner in which import
ant steps are necessarily taken by me unde
the present system, | feel Cer'a ain that
similar record of acknowledgment, OF waste
fu expenditure, of iniu !icious and ill-ad
yisel disposition of public moneys might b
made by any secretary under the present
system.
To this he adds that Whatever changes o
organization may be desired, lit is Of til,
first necessity to separate, rs mu'h as prac
ticIbln, the work of direction and delihara
ton from the details OF execution IN uti
words that there should be- in the 90 ls:rLc
ton of n navy, as in every other kind 81
business, "a proper distribution OF labor