Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-29
NAVAL RESERVE.
The Country's Marine National
Guard--Force of Sailors.
THE NEED OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Considering the Question of ships. Drills
and Uniforms-Spirit of Those In
terssted-What Congress
Has Done.
New York Tribune.

The steady growth o. the naval reserve.
not only in New York. but throughout the
country, is such that that organization or
rather aggregation OF organizations is be-
coming factor in the scheme of national
defense, which is as important as it is far
reaching. In the Seacoast cities and villages
the spirit and theory of the naval reserve
appeals TO the people and are eagerly
embraced. When that spirit is so great
that it penetrateS TO interior towns. and
that the Young men there 10 whom the myS-
tery of the sea is unknown enlist themselves
to fight upon an ocean which they have
seldom seen, itshowS more what resources
can be drawn upon i'll case of the nations
need than any argument or course of reas-
oning.
The naval reserve of New York and of
Boston are the two pioneer organizations
of the kind. The two are formed on nearly
the same plan ana basis. The Rhode Island
naval reserve comes next in point of pre-
cedence but is organized on an entirely
different plan. In that little state the plan
is TO have a corps of officers and men. one
half of whom shall be efficient in the use of
torpedOes, submarine mines and the use of
great guns in coast Notifications, and the
other half OF whom shall be able not only to
handle the guns on board Il modern man-of-
war, but who will be seamen and navigators
also.
In Connecticut the present plan is TO form
a naval reserve for use in coast fortifica-
lions. This body can be used for reinforc-
ing, in case of necessity, the garrisons
which will be maintained in the forts which
are 20 be built at the eastern entrance of
Long Island sound. The forts will form
both the outer eastern line of defenses OF
New York and the protection of the Con-
necticut shore. The drills the last summer
of, the Massachusetts, naval reserve in Mas
sachusetts bay and of the New York or
gauization at Fishers island showed with
what readiness such mo erial can be made
effective. The reason OF crapidity with
which the sailors of the reserve learned
their self-impOsed duties was, of course,
that being Young men of education and in
telligence they were able to comprehend
principles and work from them to facts,
while the ordinary enlisted man is obliged
to work from memOrizatlon of facts to-
ward principles which he is seldom able to
comprehend fully. So the men OF the ma
val reserve won the admiration of officers
and men of the squadron of evolution Ii
the drills of the last summer. and settled
once for all the question of the value Cf Il
naval militia.
The problem of providing ship for the
instruction OF the naval reserve. one TO be
exclusively devoted to that purpose, is a
problem the solution of which is beSet with
many difficulties. The naval reserve being
9 state institution, marine national guard,
it would at first sight seem that thc'State
might provide suitable ship fOr L, drill
ing Of the members as it now provides arm
cries for the land forces. The providing
and maintaining of such ship by the state
would be- however. III the opinion of MANY,
an unconstitutional act. The constitution
originally forbade any state 10 maintain an
army or navy. The militia was intended to
be of a national and not state character,
and was provided for by i law drawn by
Gen Knox. which made every man between
certain ages Il portion OF 1t. prescribed
methods for his drill and discipline. That
law is still on the statute books, but the
failure of t to work practically caused the
growth of the present uniformed militia CT
carnations in the various states, 1t being
urged by many that the formation OF such
state organizations constituted the raising
and maintaining by the various states of an
army. Yet the great benefit to the country
from the existence of such organizations
being recognized, the constitution was
finally amended SO rs TO permit the states
to maintain an effective militia, The word
ing of the amendment is such, however,
that it intended to give permission only Tor
land forces, and could scarcely be made 70
apply to the maintenance by the state of
ship of war, Oflicered and manned " state
sailors. At least this is the opinion of able
LAWYERS who have looked into the subject.
L
question. and the Naval reserve association
OF New York is DESTROYS of getting all sorts
of opinions on the point It's possible that
if the plan of q state ship IS decided to Oe
the pest u ruling may be got from the su-
preme court on the subject.
The advantage of the state having ship
OF its own is advocated by many. for the
reason that it would always be at the serv-
ice of the reserve for purposes OF drill AID
instruction. and the organization would not
have to wait for sea practice until such
times as the government could spare ship
for such purposes. E.yic ences might arise
in which the government would have use
for every one of its men-of-war for other
uses, and those times would De JUS the
ones in which drilling OF the naval reserve
would be most important.
Another plan which has some advocates
is TO have the government keep always IN
the principal port of a state having Il naval
militia one small modern vessel, which
shall be for the use of the naval reserves.
This plan looks simplicity its If, but has
practical objections. This ship would need
to have officers and men of the regular SER
vice abroad. and while they would be of
value as instructors they would have 10 be
in command. and would render II lmpOSSi-
BILE for officers and men OF the reserve 10
acquire certain qualities and get certain eX
perences which can only come by their be-
ing allowed to run the ship themselves,
with. of course, a few officers and petty Off
GERS detailed for purposes of instruction
merely. Then of course would come the
question of the government being willing
TO assume the expense of building and main
tanning feet of the kind. AS the naval
reserve grows, the feet would have to keep
pace with it, and would finally become
large one.
When there is difficulty in manning the
ships of the regular navy, it is doubtful II
the government would Undertake the adj
ditional burden OF feet for state purposes
only. However it is safe TO say that some
solution of the problem will be worked out,
for enthusiastic and wel-equipped minds
are at work on it.
In the formation of every new thing there
is time of trial and tribulatiOu, in which
chaos works itself into koSmoS, and the ma
val reserve of the state of New York was
no exception to the general law. When
Commander Philip Low, after long and ar
duous labOrs, had got the naval reserve bat
TALON in such shape that it was an accom-
plished fact he turned over the command
to Commander J. W. Miller. Almost at
once the new COMMANDER found that his bed
was not a bed of roses nor his paths those
of peace. The first troublesome question
that confronted him was the one OF uni
forms. and with that he has scarcely done
yet. When he ordered that the enlisted
men when on duty should wear white work
ing suits, similar to those worn by the sail
ors of the regular navy. there was trouble.
a portion of the men objected and wanted
to wear uniform that looked like an Off
GERS. He impressed upon such men that
they must be sailors before they could be
officers, and did not Join the reserves to be-
oIy,,i,