Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-01-02
A Daniel Come to Judgment.

Nuk.nl lNNlHllfcIAl DNlItlNits
There lie at least one man in the present
Cabinet whose departure from office will
be witnessed with regret by men Of all
parties. The present Secretary Of the Navy
is one Of the most efficient men who have
ever held that position. He it was who
brought 10 light the fact that the English
government hal, during Grants admins
trstion, admitted the justice Of the claims
that Mr.. Bayards treaty abandoned.
Again, in the matter Of the naval reserve
bis plsn Of organization is far and away
the most simple and most effective that
could be devised. II is crafty ing in these
DAYS Of p0riisan politics to find man in
Office who really makes himself what be
should be, the first and best authority on
an matters connected with his own de.
partment.
Secretary Whitney proposes that the
State naval militia enrolled a. provided
under the State law Of Massachusetts,. an d
the proposed State law OF New York,
should be devoted TO gunEery and torpedo
instruction. This corps Of trained guu'
ners and fighting men organized under the
State militia laws Stc,etary Whitney pro
poses to supplement by a second branch TO
be known rs the Navigating Naval Re
serve.
In a letter written to the New York
Board OF Trade he says;
This branch will be recruited from the
Officers and ews OF merchant steamers. 10
will furnish some officers, and the add
tional seamsn, beim-meD, engineers, fire
men, &c for the naval service in time Of
war. Tee government will expect to reap
the benefit Of the experience already &C
Quired BY 81 ort periods of annual training
The men 80 voluntarily enlisted in the
Navigating Naval Reserve will receive a
yearly compel sAtion from the general
government They must present them
selves once esch year At a naval rendez-
vous in order to satisfy the Navy Depart
meut OF their continued fitness. Naviga-
ting Naval Reserves might be regarded as
a National Naval Reserve in c)ntTadistinc-
ton 70 the Naval Reserves organized under
the States.
The National Naval Reserve msy also
include the men OF the Revenue Marine,
Lighthouse service and the SigBal service
men on coast stations, who can readily be-
cOue thoroughly trained at slight addi-
t.onal expense. The National Navsl Re
serve would thus probably number about
g. 600
''It 20 also proposed 10 secure and re-
tsin tie services If the best and fastest
merchant steamers which msy be fitted as
auxiliary cruisers in time Of war. 10 OF
der 20 do this, L. is proposed that govern
msnt shall pay an annual fee TO such yes-
ss ls a. meet the requirements Of the Navy
Department for thia purpose, and which
have ben examined and accepted by
Board Of Naval officers. This fee ia not in
the nature of subsidy but should be re-
garded a. a utaining fee. The lumber
Of vet sells which will meet the require
menis would be small and the annual ex-
pense would not be great These ves.els
uould be required TO be fitted in such
msnusr ss to be ready to receive on board
their guns and stores and 70 take the sea
IS cruisers in a very short time.
1T will be seen therefore that the
scheme is comprehensive and provides
uumbsr o, men, trained for
naval gsr'are, 70 man the increased fleet
which must be commissioned 81 the out
break of war; aud it als1 provides means
for AZ once utilizing The best merchant
steamers as additional cruisers.
at present the United States has not
one single mau in reserve for manning i,s
aset in case it should be desired TO DO 50
ia emergency.
at popular error that Merchant Ma
riue. if large enough, cen be relied upon
for manning the ships of the fleet for q
naval reserve In lS52 the gg.tGtion be-
pan 10 the English Naval Administration
which resulted m he adoption of TIE pres
eat system OF early training and Continu-
ous service. At that time the modern ETA
Of naval wsgfMe had not began and sails
were siil the chief prrpelling power The
merchant maxine numbered nearly quar-
ter of million men. yet snch difficulty
w1s found (irsil in DC 'Tuiting men; (sCc.
o1dl in retaining them in the service, that
the adoption CT some new sysiem had be-
come a ufc costly