The San Francisco call., 1896-09-13

as q result Oh AI1S AIS pCCltOu III TIE w est.
Those recommendations, be iutimated,
would relate not only TO posts. but troops,
and concern the abolition of some of the
former. and the transfer of some of the
latter, The officer stated that he looked
for suggestions from General Miles in the
fall, involving q change OF station for
probably six regiments of infantry and
two. if not three, regiments of artillery
Bids will be opened at the Navy Depart
ment on Monday for the construction of
the three battIe-ships and twelve torpedo
boats authorized a. the last session of
Congress. and representing total appro-
priation OF about $15. 900, 600, three-fourths
OF which will be for the larger vessels.
Contractors would haye preferred post
ponement of the opening of bids until
after the Novem Der elections, as they fear
that should the Chicago ticket prevail
tbev would be accepting contracts that
might entail heavy losses instead of the
fair profits they expected to secure. There
could be no departure from law, however,
which stIpulates that bids must be opened
WITHIN sixty days after advertisements are
issued, and contract awarded within
ninety days.
There will be lively and probably very
close bidding for the battle-shiDs, and
four firms at least are looked upon as con-
testants for the big plums The limit of
price fixed for each of the three vessels of
ordnance and armor, so that firm secur-
ing two of the vessels will have about all
the naval work it can attend to of this
class.
Although the Newport News Company.
which only entered the battle-ship class of
bidders last year, has two OF this type now
building, the firm is looked upon as certain
TO enter proposals for the new ships. and
should il underbid the Cramps the depart
ment will be compelled 20 award it the
contracts; but as the Philadelphia firm is
now without many large contracts with
the navy officials are hopeful that it may
may be the lowest bidder and get two Of
the ships and that the third vessel will go
to the Union Iron Works of San Fran
cisco.
Representatives of interested firms will
be in Washington at the opening of the
bids on Monday, but until Secretary Her
bert returns no awards will be announced.
Four days later bids will be opened for
twelve torpedo boats, three of which are
to be OF the highest speed (thirty knots)
ever attempted in the construction of this
type of boat in the United States The
remainder are to be comparatively small
craft, of not more than thirty-eight tons
and a speed of twenty-one knots. The
thirty-knot boats are TO cost, exclusive of
armament not exceeding 500, 600 each,
and as there is not much margin left at
these low figures ior boats designed for
such extraordinarily high speed, bids are
hardly expected to come from more than
one or two firms. No plans have been
prepared for any of the torpedo boats and
bidders are left to submit their own de-
signs.
The Herreshoffs, 1t is understood, will
bid on all the boats, and especially anx-
ious is the department that they secure
the thirty-knot type, as it is contended
that they are among the best fast-boat
builders in the country. 1t was at their
suggestion that they would build thirty
knot, or even better. torpedo-boats for the
navy that Secretary Herbert secured pro-
vision for these vessels. Heretofore the
Cramps have declined to bid on torpedo
boats, but this was due 10 the fact that
when proposals were asked they had
about all the naval work they could han
die. 1t is said that they will bid on all
classes of ships this time, as will also the
California firm and Newport News Com
pany.
After awarding contracts for this new
naval feet, one of Secretary Herbert's
next acts will be TO find names for the
fifteen ships. 1t is not likely that he will
leave this TO the incoming administration.
but will name the vessels before the keel
blocks are laid.
The quota of enlisted men allowed the
army and navy are now nearer filed than
at any period in recent years, and officials
are assured that no fEEther trouble will
hereafter be encountered in securing all
the excellent material either service
requires. at present the total strength of
the regular army is between "a, 600 and the
limit 25, 600, and the few men lacking to
complete it could, authorities say, be en-
listed in ten days.
The strength of the navy's enlisted force
is now IL 600 men, with the additional
men added by the last Congress. and of
ic fNar anrnlIoI oil Hr,*
This numbe applies almost monthly at
the various recruiting stations and the en-
tire quota could be maintained without
difficulty but for the discharges which fol-
low every week or so.
Admiral Ramsay, who has the enlisted
force of the navy in charge, believes that
not since the early days of the old navy
has there been a larger proportion OF
American citizens on our warships. He
attributes this to the better accommoda-
tion afforded sailors on the new ships and
the fact that every encouragement and in
ducement is held out to Americans to en-
ter the navy.
Foreigners, furthermore, who enlist are
now required to take out naturalization
papers, and many of them do so. The
personnel, too, or the present naval crews
is said TO be superior to that of the service
for years and Is constantly improving
under the strict inspection system exer-
ElSeu Nv OlHCcTS dl Al
though 1000 men have been added to the
navy in the last eighteen months, with
the completion of the new ships the pres
ent force will be inadequate TO the de-
mand, and in a very short time 1000 or
5000 more men will be required if the yes
sells are to be maintained in commission
under full crews.
a big battle-ship like the Indiana or
Kearsarge requires complement of 500
men, and as the navy will soon have build
ing six of this class of ships TO man them
alone will call for at least 5000 more sea-
men. Exclusive of these battle-ships
there are nine cruisers building and a
large fleet of torpedo-boats, so that within
three wears the II, 600 men now allowed
the service will not be sufficient by 5000
men to keep the full strength of the navy
in active commission.
INCREASING THE DISCOUNT.