Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-07
MARINES R SAILORS
The Former Are Said to Be More
Efficient in Gunnery.
ALLEGED PREJUDICE AGAINST THEM
The New Ships Could Be Manned
if Marines Were Used.
TIL E PROPOSED ACTION
THE PROPOSED ACTION

stated that under present conditions II
was almost necessary to put one ship out
Of commission before putting another in,
so that the crew could be changed from
the one to the other. This state Of affairs
IL Is said. would compel the several large
vessels now approaching completion to re-
main tied up at their docks until they could
be provided with crews from other vessels
that might be in need Of extensive repairs
The article declared that 1900 additional
men would be required to man the ships
how ready or approaching completion, and
that the embarrassment Of the department
in this regard was due to the refusal OF
Congress to provide for the increase of the
enlisted strength Of the navy, which was sc
earnestly requested.
Several Of the more conservative officers
Of the navy and all those of the marine
corps have taken issue with the Navy De-
partment in its representation Of the char.
acter quoted above. and declare that q
remedy could easily be found for the al
legged evil II the Secretary Of the Navy
was acquainted with the real facts as they
exist. They say that there would be nc
trouble about having a sufficient number OF
sailors to make up the crews If the marines
were stationed at the batteries, especially
at the secondary batteries.
Prejudice Against the Marines.
An old well-known naval officer in CONVEX
sation with a Star reporter this morning
was in favor Of such a policy.
Il got over the antipathy 1 formerly felt
toward the marines, and which is, am
sorry to say, a part of the education of
every line officer in the navy. In my
younger days / regarded a marine as some
thing Of a useless supernumerary aboard
ship, and carried my opinion to practical
issues. ] would soon have allowed a
drunken coal HEAVIER in my cabin as to have
permitted a marine to perform any duty as
signed to the sailors in the crew, and, as for
letting them man gun, such an idea would
have made me shudder / have gotten we'll
over all such ridiculous notions. 1 am a
lover of the navy. and have been brought
to smother old prejudices In my desire to
see the efficiency of the navy increased. 1
know, because i have seen practical proofs
OF It, that placing marines at a battery
improves the efficiency Of a ship. 1 can
give you many instances of II, but one will
sumce. j need not mention names or
places. but every officer and man in the
.ervice will know the truth of what am
about to say.
The Bureaus Policy.
"A ship whose batteries. both secondary
and great gun. were manned by marines
won the squadron prize for efficiency at
target practice. and flew the pennant The
bureau Of navigation ordered that the
H-dTllcS Dc tdheu away ITOm the KunS ana
the sailors replaced.
I'm six months that ship had not only lost
the pennant for gunnery, but lost all Its
Individual prizes as well. / can state with
out fear Of contradiction that every time
the marines are put at target practice they
make fine records, and then the bureau Of
navigation orders them taken away Now,
/ maintain that II placing marines at the
guns Improves the efficiency Of a ship the
interests of the service demand that they
should be kept there"
What causes the bureau Of navigation to
follow such q courseT
II cannot definitely TELL" was the reply
Il can only positively state that nearly
every time a ship is put in commission the
marines are placed at the guns In the sec
ondary battery, and that every time this
IL done the bureau of navigation orders
their removal. An officer in command Of a
certain vessel was ordered by that bureau
to take the marines away from the battery.
He acceded to the order. but wrote a letter
of protest. In reply he received a letter
from Commodore Ramsay, chief of the bu-
reau Of navigation. stating that he was sur
prised that a graduate Of the Naval Acad-
envy should desire to put such a reflection
upon the sailors. I don't believe the Sec
rotary of the Navy knows how the eff
cheney Of the service is retarded by the
refusal to make use of the marines, which
is undoubtedly inspired by the inbred be-
lief of naval men generally that q marine
is lower order of being than q sailor, and
should never be permitted to show his su-
periority over a blue jacket at gunnery or
else. Oh. yes, IL the marines were
placed at the guns. as they should be- there
would be none of this hue and cry about
the embarrassment of the Navy Depart
ment over lack Of men to man its ships"
Col. Heywood's Testimony.
The surprising statements brought out
during the interview were repeated to an
officer of the marine corps. He was disin-
clined to discuss the question himself, but
referred the reporter to the testimony given
before the joint committee on naval per-
sonnet during the recent session of Congress
by Col. Charles Haywood, commandant of
the marine corps.
A perusal of the pamphlet containing the
evidence In question developed that 1t was
Col. Heywood's opinion that when a de-
Is chment of marines is detailed for sea
service 1t should constitute a division I'M
der its own officers and at the discre-
ton Of the commanding officer Of the vessel
be assigned to the guns Of the main or
secondary battery. He believed this would
both Increase the sphere of usefulness of
the marines and promote efficiency and
economy in the navy.
IF there are not enough sailors to man
the guns. said Col. Haywood, "let the sail
or division be consolidated and give the
marines a gun or guns to themselves This
VIII promote economy In the navy. for there
are now about 900 marines afioat assigned
for the most part as sharpshooters II thew
should be stationed at the guns that number
Of seamen would be Immediately available
for duty on the new ships fitting out and
IT costs the government 500 5S4 less a year
70 pay !.OOO marines than it does to pay
1 600 sailors"
In response to questions by Representa-
tive Money, Col. Heywood's testimony was
Identical with the statement given in the
interview printed above. He said the ma
rines as general thirg manned the sec
ondary batteries on board ships to which
they are detailed until the guns are taken
away from them.
To the Sccretary's Attention.
They are nearly always put there by the
captain when first going on ship but are
taken away afterward upon orders from
the bureau Of navigation. Navy Depart
ment." said Col. Haywood. He also said
that commanding officers Of vessels of war
would now always put marines where they
would do the most good on board ship, IL
they were allowed to.
1t Is understood that several gentlemen
not connected with either branch of thu,
naval service. but who are deeply Interest,"
ed in Its welfare. will call upon Secretary
Herbert upon his return to Washington
and lay the facts as stated above before
him for the purpose Of having him issue
an order increasing the discretion OF ship
In the matter of assigning
men to man the batteries and recommend
ing that the marines, upon showing their
qualifications for such duty, be preferred
in such assignment. 1t Is claimed that in