The record-union., 1894-11-28
honor to call your attention to the follow
ing table representing the number in
Seryica
Ar Un- TorpeGO
mored. armored. Boats.
ENLISTED MEN.

L again renew my recommendation of
last year that the enlisted force be in
creased by 1000 men. a careful study of
the services of the navy for several years
past convlnces me that the number of
vessels which must be kept in commits
sion and ready for service is greater than
the present enlisted force allowed the
navy Will suffice TO man. Calculations
place this increase at not less than 1000
men, and the law to authorize such in
crease should be so worded as TO permit
the department to enlist them whenever
needed.
An efficient and economical service can
not bo carried on without fair margin
always between the number of men ab-
solutely necessary to man the ships in
commission and the limit as fixed by
law. New ships getting ready for sery-
Ice anu the constantly recurring emer-
gencles necessitating the dispatch of yes
sels TO foreign waters are causing de-
mands upon the enlisted force which it
VIII very shortly be unable to meet.
NAVAL MILITIA.
Interest in the naval militia continues
unapaled, and 1t is apparent to the de-
partment that its efficiency has materially
increased the past year. During this
period organizations have been perfected
III Michigan and Connecticut, and the
formation OF others has been authorized
by the Legislatures OF Vermont, New
Jersey, Virginia and Georgia.
Az the present time the number of off,
GERS ana men of the various States mus
tered In and serving is as follows: Massa-
chusetts, AS; Rhode Island, lib; Connec-
tlcntt, TO: New York, 442; Pennsylvania,
South Carolina, POS; California, 800: IlIi-
nols, 36S: Michigan, 73; total, 2,549.
The movement is still in its infancy.
ana certainly promises gratifying results,
but the exact relations OF the naval militia
10 the regular service, and how the Two
shall best and most efficiently cooperate
In any regular plan OF national defense
is not as yet distinctly marked out. There
are, however, undoubtedly many direc-
tlons in which the splendid bodies of
young men now being organized can in
case OF need render effective service.
OPERATIONS IN BEHRING SEA.
The department issued the necessary
instructions on the 18th of April, 1894. for
the formation of a squadron, CONSISTING
OF The united States steamships Mohican,
Concord, Yorktown, Alert Ranger
Adams and Petrol, the revenue cutters
Rush, Corwin and Bear, and the Fish
commission steamer Albatross, to be un-
der the command of Commander &. L.
Clark, and to cruise in the North Pacific
ana BehrIng Sea in order to carry out the
provisions of the award relating to fur
Swans uOiONi Oy Vic 1IlDu1dl OF ArDl-
tratlon at Paris, under treaty between
the United States and Great Britain, con-
cluued at Washington, February 2S, 1872
Certain British war vessels co-operated
with ours III carrying out the concurrent
regulations for the enforcement of the
provisions of the award.
Iheitotal number of miles covered bv
the vessels of The squadron was l3I, $50.
torty-fiVe sealing vessels, whalers and
others, with appliances for sealing on
board, were boarded and examined dur
ing the time that the herd was moving to-
ward the passes, and thirty were boarded
in Behring Sea after it was opened in ac-
cordance with the provisions of the
award.
EXAMINATIONS FOR PROMOTION.
The present system of examinations
Tor promotion III the navy is not COM
plete, inasmuch as it's provisions are not
applicable to all grades of officers in the
| naval service. The recommendation con-
tanned IN my last annual report that Con-
gress he asked to extend the provisions
OF the existing law respecting the exam
lnatlon of officers as to their physical,
mental moral and professional auaIifica-
tions Tor promotion to all grades of all
corps III the navy. and tha: the whole
system of examinations be placed on a
similar footing to that of the army and
Marine Corps, is respectfully renewed.
COST OF THE NAVY.
The total appropriations for the naval
service at the last session of Congress
! amounted to SO. .456, ,S26 y. OF The sum
OF $40, 900 for the reclaiming of the wreck
of the Kearsarge only SS, 800 has been
used. The estimates for 1896 amount to
| $50, 952, ,020 40.
MORE VESSELS NEEDED.
| AS to the need of more vessels and the
classes of ships desired, l beg 10 recon-
| mend that Congress be asked to authorize
| the construction of three battle-ships OF
about 10000 tons displacement each. to
cost, exclusive of armament, not exceed
ing S4,000,000 each, and twelve torpedo
| boats of from 100 to 800 tons each, at the
discretion of the Secretary of the Navy, tc
cost not exceeding an average of $4,000.
! A soldier, being asked if he met with
much hospitality in Ireland, replied that
he was in the hospital nearly all the time
| he was there.-Iid- Bits.