The Washington times., 1895-06-23
Keeping Tabs Of Navies
All over the World
Not Vessel Moving in the Remotest Seas Escapes
the Vigilance of the Office of
Naval Intelligence.

The Secretary OF the Navy, recognized
head OF the ''arInies of the seas" is by
the exigencies of war required To keep in
touch with all the world The movements
of our own Navy are kept constantly in
view, precisely as are those of brigades,
divisions and corps Of the land forces, and
there is not an hour IN any day that the
chief of the department is not advised OF
the location and mission OF every vessel
under his official supervision In the
same degree, and by similar methods he
is kept Informed. particularly III time OF
| war, of the movements OF the navies OF
| other powers, and not vessel OF irnpor-
tance can make a change oflocation without
his knowledge Neither squadron nor
part of squadron can raise anchor for
change of base without the fact being
known to the alert officers in a busy
little workshop of the Navy Department,
and the Secretary may at any moment know
the disposition of the forces for any given
day.
AS are all the departments, that under
the Secretary of the Navy is divided into
| several bureaus, each with Its own funC-
| tions to perform, and among these are
| two that play an important part in the
| ''theater of war" Every minister, con-
1 SUI anu IRtIl SGINtAE lLJs CnuullS dUlOoI
! becomes q contributing medium for the
| supply of information to these two di-
| visions of the Secretary's office, and by
| the aid of electricity can keep them in
| formed of every strategic movement upon
| the chessboard the moment it is made.
REPORTED WITHOUT DELAY.
Article ,623 of the United States Naval
regulations provides, as to the home Navy,
| that the arrival in and departure from pOrtOf
| every ship in commission. and other i'm
| poTtant information that should be known
without delay" shall be promptly tele-
graphed to the department by the COM
mandant of the station, or the senior officer
present" Quite recently this section was
| amended so as to provide that the same in
| formation shall be communicated by tele-
| graph to 1.-The CommandeT-in-Chief of the
| squadron to which the vessel may be at
| tached"
AS measure of economy, it is provided
| that all kilograms shall be brief. The mes
sage announcing the arrival inOrdinary cases
| merely bears the name of the vessel and a
| signature. Taken in connection with the
name of the port the telegram is interpreted
| to mean: The -- has arrived at this
port" the name of the vessel appearing in
| the blank; and so in case q squadron or
| part of squadron, reaches port. In an
| nouncing a departure the same brevity
| is observed, and such a telegram is sent, for
example, as may be Interpreted: The
vessel under my command is about to sail
| for Callao."
These and various other requirements to
the same end are imposed by the regulations.
| The information obtained goes, first, TO
the Secretary, and in due course reaches the
| Bureau of Navigation, where it is trans
| ferred TO bulletin board prepared for the
purpose Messages of this character that
come during business hours are delivered
at the department, but the many that are
| received after 4 O'Clock are sent direct To
the Secretary's refidence.
Such, briefly outlined, is the method
by which an important arm of the govern
ment keeps supervision OF its thews and
sinews. The Bureau of Navigation, among
other duties imposed upon it, has charge
and oversees the preparation and Issuance
of charts and sailing directions; estab-
fishes the complement of the crews of all
vessels in commission: keeps the records
of service of all squadrons, ships, officers,
and men, and attends to the dissemination
of nautical and photographed information
to the Navy and merchant marine
NAVAL INT ELLIGENCE OFFICE.
While in case OF war between this coun-
try and any other, the movements of
foreign friendly and hostile men-of-war
would naturally, as a measure Of precaU-
ton, be communicated to this bureau,
I
| the information thus obtained be used
to advantage, the telegram would go
from the Secretary first to an officer on the
fourth floor of the building, who has
charge of a branch of the service known
as the Office of Naval Intelligence. Each
of the bureaus is in charge of a naval
officer, and this one is presided over by
Commander C. II. Davis.
The Office of Naval Intelligence does
not employ a large force, but its mission
is an important one. Within its portals
are kept, and from it have been communi
Gated, as occasion demanded, .weighty
secrets that called for the issuance of orders
uponthe epromptexecutiono nofwhichdependeC
the accomplishment of victory OF the
prevention OF disaster
The system by which this information
is obtained is similar to that employed
: under other governments, and the United
: States was not by any means the last q
i adopt and improve tue plan, and enlaTg,
its scope. cableg ram from min